Whispering Words
by Kerchan
Summary: K/S AU: "Jim Kirk." Ayel stated, amazed that in his hands he was holding the baby form of a legend. "James T. Kirk." Nero breathed after him.
1. Chapter 1

**Whispering Words**

Disclaimer: This story is based on the STXI movie script and movie itself with changes and additional problems posed by the prompt. I do NOT own anything. All ideas and scenarios from the movie or the script belong to their respective owners, Paramount, Gene Roddenberry, etc.

(Pre-slash/Slash)

**Warnings:** Homosexuality, Vulgar Language, Mature Content, H&C, Angst, Alternate Universe

**Universe:** nu!Trek, AU

**Pairing(s):** Spock x Kirk (Spirk, Spork, Kock)

**Positions:** Top!Spock x Bottom!Kirk

...

A/N – I discovered a prompt on the st_xi_kink meme that I could not pass up. It sounded so good that I felt a driving burn to fill it. Plus, I thought it would be fun! *blush*giggle*

Prompt: _Inspired by another prompt, Nero captures Winona's shuttle and raises Kirk as his own. At 22, Kirk is sent to Starfleet Academy as a spy. Because Nero knows that Jim is suppose to have an epic friendship with Spock, Kirk is tasked with pretending to be Spock's friend and then betraying him to Nero. But he grows attached to Spock and Bones and his Academy friends and along the way he finds out the truth about his parents, or his history with Spock from another universe from Spock Prime, or both. So, conflicting loyalties? Falling in love with a Vulcan he was brought up to hate? And then maybe Spock finds out Kirk was suppose to be a traitor and is heartbroken?_

...

Compared to the bulk of the _Narada,_ the collision of the _USS Kelvin_ offered a small distraction as well as minimal damage. However, filled with rage and the pain of a broken heart, Captain Nero did not let his enemies limp away. Looking over the view screen, he saw the shuttles making their escape from his wrath, but Nero would have none of it. Crossing a glance at his most trusted friend, Commander Ayel, the other Romulan knew what he was thinking without the help of empathy. Ayel understood his grief and suffered with him. In the past or no, the Commander would not let them escape. With a swift hand, Ayel gave the order to attack any shuttles within range.

They fired.

Captain Nero watched the view screen with the patience and dedication a doctor would for an operating patient. His eyes studied the debris, watching the explosions plume and fade in the dark vacuum of space as the oxygen was stripped from the very cores of the shuttles. _In space, no one can hear you scream._

Though he was furious that most of the shuttles had departed from the range of their weapons, the Romulan Captain found himself pleased that they had at least brought two to destruction and one down to its knees.

"This shuttle is still showing two life forms remaining alive, Captain." An officer said from his monitoring station. Nero gave Ayel a sideways glance, ushering the Commander to the station. Ayel confirmed it. "Should we destroy the shuttle?" The same officer asked, this time looking up at Ayel for approval. The Romulan Commander turned briefly to look at his Captain, so quiet and festering in his own anger. He didn't need to read Nero's thoughts to understand his grief against this universe, but he didn't give the officer the attack order. Something behind his Captain's eye was shining, brimming with new intensity and curiosity. Ayel knew that look. It was one that he had seen many times when they were younger and wild children. Thinking over what was best, he not only surprised the officer, but his own Captain with his next order.

"Use the tractor beam and bring them into dock." Ayel peered into his Captain's curious eyes, "It appears we will be having guests."

…

The shuttle was in shambles. It was surprising that enough oxygen had remained to allow the lives within the metal heap to survive being pulled into dock. Captain Nero and Ayel came into the dock with heavy footsteps and determination. If the officers inside proved important, they would interrogate them, find out more information about this past. However, when the doors were thrust open, the Romulans were not greeted with the silence of death, the sounds of dying moans, or the bodies of surviving officers. Instead, what greeted their pointy ears was the faint sound of a child's tears.

Ayel assumed his Captain would turn and head back to his quarters, now that all seemed lost for this shuttle. He would be berated later for using their power to pull in a useless scrap piece, but Nero didn't leave. The Captain's feet began moving before Ayel's heartbeat could match and he watched, questioningly as the Captain moved inside the destroyed shuttle. Ayel followed.

Every step they made, brought the crying closer. Sparks crackled around them like an obscene dance, and smoke puffed in and out from various places. As Nero treaded on, he found the source of the tears and stopped briefly to observe the scene before him. It was sickening, and yet Nero felt no remorse for his actions, even as he stared into the bloodied face of a gasping woman, in her arms, protectively holding a small infant. They had found the source of the crying.

The blonde haired woman was pinned to the far wall, half her body crushed below the waist by a medical bed and metal. Her breaths were short, sharp, and Nero knew she would not last long. The baby's wails became their soundtrack as the woman brought her head up weakly, her eyes showing regret, hatred, and sadness.

She coughed, burbled blood, then feebly brought the baby out from her breast. "My… baby…" she barely ground out, her voice as harsh and grating as nails on a chalkboard. "Please… my baby…" Her arms shook with the weight, the infant's cries becoming louder as she took him from the warmth of her blood-crusted breast. Her actions spoke volumes to Nero, his mind fleeting back to his own departed wife and how she had never even gotten a chance like this with their own unborn child. For a moment, he pitied her.

No order was given, but Ayel moved past his Captain, approaching the dying woman. She looked up at him, pain written all over her, tears mixing with the red on her face. Ayel could not lie to himself, knowing that this was painful for him in ways he could not understand. He was a miner, not a murderer, and this almost seemed too much for him.

"Please…" she tried again, and Ayel needed not a second more as he reached forward and took the crying baby from her arms, the infant slowly calming in the warmth of Ayel's embrace. The woman, even with her pain, smiled. Her gratitude of his arms around her child appearing to give her relief. Ayel looked at the infant and realized it had been recently birthed, and noting the fallen instruments in the shuttle that this place was the spot of this child's very birth. The woman lowered her head, like the weight was beginning to be too much. Ayel knew she would breath her last breath in mere moments.

The Romulan Commander cradled the baby, looking at his Human features, rounded ears, and soft, pink flesh. He then turned to the mother, brining her chin up with the support of his hand as she appeared too weak to do so.

"What is the child's name?" Her eyes appeared like faint candles, dimming in the distance. She brought a bloodied hand up, grasping his in hers, barely supporting her own head's weight as she spoke in a sputtered whisper.

"J-Ji—Jim…" She coughed. "Jim K—Jim Ki…" but they wouldn't hear her finish. The blonde woman slowly faded out of reality, her eyes upturning, lids sliding closed. Her breath shallowed, then disappeared completely. Her head dropped forward, the weight of her own body finally taking rest over the crush medical bed and twisted metal. Ayel would not tell his Captain, but he mourned for her.

Nero pushed his way through Ayel at such speed that he bumped into him, causing the baby Ayel now knew as Jim to start and cry. Ruthlessly, Nero pulled up the blonde Human's head, tossing it side to side to move her sticky, bloody hair from her medical gown. His fingers took on a speed he'd only seen when desperation overtook his friend. Finally, the pushing and shoving stopped when Captain Nero apparently found what he was looking for. Nero used his thumb to wipe the dried blood away from her nametag, stared at its letters and went wide-eyed.

After Romulus's destruction, Ayel remembered Nero taking a vow of silence, but right then, Nero broke his vow as he whispered, "Kirk…" Ayel looked down at the baby, snuggling up into his chest, faint cries bouncing from his infantile lips.

"Jim Kirk." Ayel stated, amazed that in his hands he was holding the baby form of a legend.

"James T. Kirk." Nero breathed after him. He turned on his heels, peered down at the baby and snarled. This was the legend at his beginning. He could kill this child right now, and end all of his troubles. All he had to do was reach out and snap his neck, or cover his mouth and nose to suffocate him. Nero acted on the impulse and greedily, hungrily reached out for the infant with his bloodied hands, but Ayel stepped back from him defiantly. Nero's gaze shot up to his, anger welling up inside him.

"No." Ayel said, rocking the child in his arms. "We must not kill him."

"Ayel," Nero murmured, confirming that he would be breaking his vow from here on out, "don't you understand what this means? If we murder Jim Kirk, he will never grow to be anything in Starfleet. The Federation will be weak." Ayel still refused and brought the baby Jim up to his neck, holding him close like he had done many times for his own children. "Give me the child." The Commander knew if he refused, he would be killed with the baby, but if he accepted, then a great injustice would be done to this universe. Ayel knew of the influence Jim Kirk would have on Spock and how that influence would later lead to Spock's help in maintaining the Romulan species. If there was no Kirk, then there really would be no future for Romulus.

Ayel looked at the baby, now resting on his shoulder with his fist in his mouth, falling asleep peacefully. The Romulan now knew he was a murderer, but he would not allow this great injustice by his friend. For the sake of his future, he chose a different method of persuasion now that he could speak with his childhood companion.

"My friend," Nero looked like he was spearing him with his eyes, but it was a chance Ayel was willing to take, "I think it would be best for Romulus if we keep him alive." The reaction was expected. Nero became furious and thrashed about.

"Best for _Romulus!_ What would you know is _best for Romulus?_ I want him _dead!_ The Federation will be weak without him!"

"Yes," Ayel agreed, "that is possible, but this is about Spock, not the Federation. That part came come later." Nero's lips became a thin line. The Commander knew he was testing his Captain's patience. He decided it best to give his alternative. "I propose to you we keep Kirk alive and—raise him. Ourselves." The Captain paused briefly, considering this. Ayel continued. "Think about it, Friend. We raise James T. Kirk, train him, teach him, and _use_ him to get to Spock. We have to wait over twenty-years for that old bastard to return, and in that time, we can prepare Kirk and have him infiltrate the Federation and tear them down from the inside out." Nero turned away, placing a hand on his chin in thought. Ayel spoke truth. If they raised Kirk to be on their side, they could send him into Starfleet and destroy Spock before he has a chance to destroy Romulus. At the same time, they could also teach him to take down the Federation and leave them open for attack—a war. Yes, yes, Ayel spoke logic for being Romulan, and Nero was quite pleased.

The Captain turned, a smile playing on his lips as he reached over to the dead mother, coating his fingers in fresh blood, then approached Ayel with the infant. Ayel lowered the baby Kirk gently, so not to rouse him from his slumber. Nero darkly laughed.

"James T. Kirk was a great man, but that was another life." Bloody fingers traced intricate patterns on the infant's forehead. Ayel knew these patterns as signs of loss and they would wash away once the baby was bathed. A cruel trick for the Jim Kirk this child would never be. To be born, to experience loss, and then left no time to grieve, even with Romulan traditions. It was new to him, but Ayel felt something strong in this child, and for an instant, regretted that he had not allowed his friend to murder the baby. Perhaps giving him life had been a mistake.

Only time would tell.

…

The hover platform was moving at speeds that should not ever be allowed for a transport vehicle. It had obviously been re-wired to go the velocity it was currently pursuing, but Jim took all credit. His boisterous pride showing through him as he sped down the _Narada_'s corridors, buzzing past crewmen, and causing many to throw themselves out of his way to avoid a collision with the platform.

Jim cheered as he fled by the crewmen. The speed felt so nice to him, natural even. He pushed the home-made throttle harder, pushing the platform's limits, and ignoring the growing heat from the tiny engines.

Ayel was off-duty, resting in the private library. He left the door open to allow circulation into the room as it had felt stuffy when he entered. Had he not left it open, though, he would have missed the young Human flying by the door at dangerous speeds down the halls on what looked to be a transport platform.

"Hi Uncle—Bye Uncle!" Jim shouted quickly as he went by. The Romulan Commander flew up from his seat just as hastily as Jim had gone by him. He raced to the door and managed to see the Human turning a corner, shouting profanities and hollering like a hooligan for the others to get out of his way.

"Jim!" Ayel called, worried that his nephew was going to collide with something again, much like he had done weeks before with a mining cart. As fast as his feet would take him, Ayel rushed down the halls, passing scared crewmen and hoping he wouldn't trip over his off-duty robes.

He barreled down the corridors, the whine of Jim overusing the small engine clearly in the air. This was just like his nephew. When he wasn't training or studying, he was tinkering with ship machinery and causing mayhem. It had been a long eleven years, and Ayel began to wonder when his Human vigor would wind down and settle. Romulan children just weren't like this! Jim was like a ball of pure, concentrated, energy, and it had been more hell for him than his father Nero, since Ayel ended up not only being the boy's teacher, but his nanny as well.

_I'm going to whip his tail-end for this! No supper! No play time! I'll—I'll…_ Ayel paused instantly as he watched Jim's modified platform speed directly into the cat-walk chambers. If he moved about too quickly in there, or possibly calculated his hovering wrong, Jim would go right over the edges and fall to an unfortunate death! Many crewmen had died this way and the last thing on Ayel's mind was for Jim to meet the same fate. He ran faster, calling out to his nephew. "Jim! Jim!"

However, Jim didn't hear Uncle Ayel shouting for him because the wind rushing by his ears was too fantastic. His body was pumping with adrenaline, his eyes excited to see the fast blurs of the ship moving around him. All he had ever known was the _Narada_, and it was getting to him. Blurry motions were better than seeing the same rooms, the same lights, the same _everything_ every day.

It was always, 'Jim, do your training' or 'Jim, recite history' or even 'Jim, go to fucking bed' and he had had enough. No more torturing trainings. No more study halls with boring lessons about how Vulcans could suck his half-Romulan dick. He just wanted to be free and play! Why couldn't his father and uncle understand that?

His thoughts had been so concentrated that Jim didn't even notice he had gone into the cat-walk corridors until the room around him had grown to vast proportions. All around him was empty space with the small walk-ways strewn about like spider's web. A knot caught in his throat. He hadn't meant to go this far.

Panicking, Jim released the throttle and began shoving his small hands on the break. In the distance was coming a sharp turn that Jim knew he wouldn't make, and with time shortening every second, his thoughts could barely comprehend how much time he lad left to stop himself. Now the wind rippling about his face that had felt so good moments before was a like a terrible shrill, an alert to his heart to beat faster. Jim pushed on the break, but the descent in speed was hardly noticeable and wouldn't slow him down fast enough. As the point of no return crept closer, with nowhere else to turn off on to, Jim knew what he had to do. If he was going to make it out of this alive, he was going to have to _jump_.

The turning ledge filled Jim's view completely, his heart hissing in his ears and at the last moment, Jim pushed himself off the hovering platform, forcing it over the side ledge and falling to the deck so harshly, it knocked the breath out of him. His momentum kept him going for a few more feet, bringing him closer to the edge, Jim looking back in time to see he was about to go over it when suddenly large, warm hands grasped his wrists and brought him to a skidding halt. His feet dangled over the ledge, reminders of just how close to his own death he had come. He heard the platform echo into shattering pieces far below him.

Jim was yanked up by his wrists and brought back to the safety of the ledge. When he looked to his captor, he was tipped off by the certain pattern of tattoos and the strong brow line: it was none other than his Uncle. And Ayel looked pissed. His robes were dirty from sliding across the floor with his nephew, and his jaw was tightening from the near death experience they both almost had. But then, to Jim's surprise, Ayel wrapped his arms tightly about Jim's body and hugged him so firmly that he let out a grunt.

"Thank the gods that you are safe!" Ayel breathed into his neck, trying to bring him closer. "What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle." Jim muttered, feeling Ayel shake in his grip as he hugged him back. He felt like loose wires, shaking in the air units. He hadn't meant to take his road trip that far. He didn't mean to frighten his Uncle. Pain and sorrow washed over him as the scene that just about happened flashed through his memory. Ayel pulled away, but kept his grip firm on Jim's shoulders. The Commander then leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jim's forehead, not even caring that Jim's bangs were in the way.

"You are such a fool sometimes." He gave a weak smile to keep his nephew from sniffling and bringing about tears. Jim appreciated it, or did as long as he could. Instantly, both looked up as a door slammed behind them and from the depths of the _Narada_ came Jim's father, Nero. He looked angry, not like he ever looked like anything else to Jim, and approached them with fervor. Ayel quickly understood the rampage and stood, placing Jim behind him, as if to protect him from Nero's hard gaze. Jim grasped his robes tightly, there was no since in hiding it. Everyone knew that Jim was terrified of his own father.

"Step aside, Ayel." Nero barked. Ayel didn't move, protecting his nephew.

"He's still a child, Captain. A _human_ child." Nero smacked him once. Hard. Ayel kept his ground.

"He's Romulan." Nero stated flatly. "And he will _behave_ as a Romulan. Now, remove yourself, Commander."

"Punishing him will do nothing to curb what is natural."

"Are you trying to tell me how to raise my child?" Ayel lowered his head.

"No, Sir, just that maybe a gentler approach—" Nero gave a laugh.

"Gentler? _Gentler?_ Listen here, if I want someone to read James a bedtime story and powder his bottom, I'll call for you—but that is _not_ how I will raise him! To take a product transport, modify it to dangerous speeds, and then to cause hazards to himself and my crew is insubordination! He will be punished!" Nero went to grab Jim from behind him, but Ayel pushed him around himself and out of his friend's grasp. Jim recoiled and tugged on Ayel's robes tighter.

"Nero, you can't keep treating him like one of your crew! This is an obvious attempt to tell us that Jim is being pushed too much! He's just a boy! Not a soldier! He needs fresh air and wide fields to play in! Children his own age to play with!" The fingers that took Jim from behind him had moved so swiftly, Ayel hadn't noticed them until he saw Nero tugging the boy away in fierce anger. The Commander went after him. As they walked out of the cat-walk corridors, Nero ordered under his breath for the officers within range to restrain Ayel and bring him to the brig. They complied immediately, taking Ayel's shoulders in forced grip.

Jim looked behind him, his father tugging his hand along, and saw a look on his uncle's face that he couldn't quite translate. He looked sorry, but also angry. Jim wanted nothing more but to break from his father's grip and run to the safe arms of Ayel. Ayel understood him. Knew him. It was sad to know that his father had command over him.

Nero tugged his arm harshly and brought Jim's attention back to them.

…

Ten lashings. That's how many times his father whipped him before Jim crumpled on the floor in a pool of tears. They were in the brig, a small area of the ship, but just big enough to fit close to thirty or forty persons. Ayel was in one of the cells, locked helplessly away from his nephew and had been forced to watch as the young boy took the abuse from his friend, his Captain. Five lashings were for Jim's actions, and the other five had been for Ayel's interference. The Romulan Commander felt his worst hearing Jim cry out as Nero reminded him that this was his fault.

Nero threw the cell door open. "Take him to quarters. Do not take him to Medical. I want him to remember this. This is the last time James will try my patience." Ayel stepped out slowly, eyeing his commanding officer. Nero looked back at him directly. "Now. Commander." His footsteps were heavy as the Captain left with the guards. Over on the far side was Jim, crying, sobbing onto the floor. His back was torn from the lashes, red blood dripping from cuts. Ayel rushed to him, not caring that he was ruining his robes by embracing the small boy. Jim hugged him back in a grip that was terrifying. The Romulan tried to shush him, but then realized there was no point and allowed Jim to cry aimlessly into his breast.

"I'm sorry, Jim." Ayel whispered into his blonde hair. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Jim wailed, catching him off guard. Was he referring to Ayel's apology? "Why, Uncle? Why couldn't _you_ have been my father? I _hate_ him! I _hate_ Nero!" He continued on this way for many moments, his breath washing into silence upon his robes, muffling his sobs and tears. Ayel just let him. It was his fault, after all. Even if it wasn't, the Commander felt responsible.

"Your father is a harsh leader," he began when Jim's cries were slowing down. The Romulan then picked Jim up and cradled him into his arms, Jim went willingly. "but, he does love you. He only wants what's best."

"All he cares about is turning me into one of his crew! He could care less that I'm his own flesh and blood!"

"Shh, Jim, that is not true. He cares, I know he does. You just have to give him more time to show it." He gently rocked them side to side in reminiscence of how Ayel used to rock the tiny Human to sleep when he was an infant. Jim fell victim to it easily and calmed down. "One day, you will be a strong soldier, and you will prove yourself to Nero. When that day comes, you will see how much he truly loves you. I promise."

"But, what if I don't become strong?" Jim pushed his face out of Ayel's robes, "I'm only half Romulan! I'm more Human than I am Romulan and Father doesn't seem like he remembers that I'm not as strong as you." Ayel stroked his head softly.

"Jim you are strong. More than you know. In fact, James T. Kirk is the strongest Human I've ever known!"

Jim smiled and scoffed, "You're just saying that, Uncle."

"No, it's true. Jim," he took his shoulders, wiping the dirt and tears from his pale face, "you may not believe this now, and you may not believe it in the future, but you are going to grow up into something beautiful and strong one day. You were meant for greatness. I know this, Jim. Trust me, I know this." Jim wiped his own face, smearing tears and mucus along his arms.

"How can you be so sure, Uncle?" he asked softly as Ayel used the bottom of his sleeves to wipe Jim's arms down.

The Commander kissed his forehead, then picked him up like he was the lightest package in the world, minding Jim's injuries and intending to take him to his quarters and nurse him himself. Nero wouldn't have to know about it. "Because when you were just a little baby," Ayel began, retelling the story that Jim always loved to hear, "you had survived a horrible explosion, holding on to life even as an infant, and that to me, means you are strong and great. Don't you think so?" Jim nodded lightly into his shoulder and just let his Uncle carry him off.

"Tell me the story again." Jim sighed as fatigue began to over take him. Ayel simply carried his little package, recalling the story he and Nero had devised for Jim's birth, but only Ayel could tell him the partial truths. And those truths meant more to Jim than he would ever know.

Jim clutched his robes, loving the warm feeling of being in his uncle's embrace as they descended the corridors. Ayel's voice was even, baritone, and gentle. Jim couldn't have asked for a better uncle if he tried. When he heard the silent swish of the cabin doors, Ayel had just finished retelling the wonderful story of his survival.

"I love you, Uncle." Jim spoke in a soft breath of air, though he had intended it to only be said in his mind. Ayel paused for a moment, shocked at the spoken words that he had assumed but had never heard before. He was uncertain what to say back, but found he didn't have to respond. Jim had fallen asleep in his arms. Well, perhaps he could clean him up after he rested, the Commander thought, and perhaps one day, he could tell his nephew just how much he loved him back.

...

A/N: I'm following the movie pattern just a little bit. It was actually really fun making this and I hope others agree. I'll see how much people like this AU and decide how quickly I'll get the updates out. 8D Feedback is not expected, but always welcome. Thanks for reading! I hope you look forward to more!


	2. Chapter 2

...

A/N: I didn't think there'd be much point in describing Spock's childhood since I'm going to assume that even with Jim taken in by the Romulans, it would relatively be the same. I'm sorry to anyone who wanted to read more on Spock. DX

...

Jim's footsteps echoed off the floor, resounding into the large gymnasium. The lights were low, only emergency lights activated giving the room an ominous glow. He stepped forward until he was certain he was in the centre. All was quiet.

A foot thrashed towards his face—Jim ducked, rolling under the enemy and taking him down with a harsh elbow to the back of his neck. Fists flew towards him—Jim evaded, stepping back once with every throw of the fist, and when the attacker became tired, Jim thrust himself forward and punched the enemy directly in his gut. Then three attackers came at once, ganging up on him. One took his arms by surprise, the other his legs as the third went in for the kill with a deadly knife. Jim kicked his legs free, and using the enemy who was holding his arms as support, he lifted himself up and kicked the knife from the attacker's hand—he spun around quickly, catching the other attacker off guard, and used a few fast movements to confuse his enemy and shove him backwards with a hard kick to his chest. When more enemies arrived, Jim only smiled and took care of them just as easy as he had the others.

He had gone through nearly fourteen enemies, six with some form of knife-like weapon, before the lights were raised and Jim could clearly see his devastation laid about the gym floor. The other Romulan officers were sprawled out, groaning from pain, some completely silent from Jim's harsh blows. Jim heaved, trying to regain his breath, and stepped over the resting bodies to kneel in front of an older Romulan sitting in a large chair at the far end of the expanse. When Jim kneeled, Nero smiled.

"You've done well, my son."

Jim didn't move from his place. "Thank you, Father." It was a true compliment. James was twenty-two now, with a hard, strong body, quick reflexes, and the loyal attributes of a true Romulan. As he was perched in font of him, Nero gave another smile at the long scars scratched into his adopted son's bare back. White streaks as souvenirs of all the pain and torment the Human had suffered through. Though Human, James had surpassed what Nero set for him, and he was a very pleased father. James had become a fully obedient, Romulan warrior. It had taken years, but their plan was finally coming to fruition.

Nero leaned forward so he rested on the edge of his chair, beckoning his son to raise his eyes and look at him. When startling blue met the darker ones, the Romulan Captain began. "Who are you?"

"James Tiberius Kirk, your son and loyal officer aboard the _Narada_." His voice sounded monotonous, low, like he had said these words numerous times before.

"Whom do you serve?"

"The Romulan Empire."

"Who is our enemy?"

"The Federation and all those who associate with them."

"Who destroyed Romulus?"

"The Vulcans."

Nero paused, taking in his son's seethed reply. He then reached forward, cupped Jim's cheek and made their eyes meet in a challenging glare.

"Who killed your mother?" Jim went rigid in his grip. His eyes took on a close darkness to his own, showing pain, regret, remorse, and hatred. It was several seconds before it appeared the Human could give a reply.

"_Spock._" He hissed. "Spock killed my Human mother. Spock _murdered_ her."

"Yes," Nero hissed back, "yes, he did." The Captain released his chin and fell back into his chair. "And how will you repay him?"

Jim stood, not looking at his father and turned away from him. His scars were in full view, making the Human look dangerous in the uneven light. "I…" Jim began, but hesitated like he was choking on his own strength, "I will _destroy_ him." He managed to ground out. "Him and the Federation. I will destroy all those who destroyed Romulus. All those who destroyed _her._" Nero nodded, though he knew James couldn't see him.

"Yes, my son. Yes. You are ready."

…

Ayel glanced over the data streaming across his computer. Everything was ready for his nephew's departure. It had taken much time, but Ayel had found the data necessary to make Jim fake medical and citizen data based on what he could salvage from the computers from the shuttle they took him from. The story was simple: Jim Kirk had survived in the shuttle and had been taken aboard a passing Romulan vessel that later sold him to slavery. He was raised by Humans but before he could be sold of age as a slave, he had managed to escape to Earth where he hoped to start life over and join Starfleet. The story was so obscure that there really didn't need to be proof of it for it to exist, so it would work. At least, Ayel hoped it would. By keeping the last name of 'Kirk' for his nephew, they were chancing a lot of unwanted attention, but Ayel tried not to worry too much. If this plan was going to work, they needed to keep all doors open to possibilities, and convincing Jim that he was half-Romulan and only _posing_ to be a full Human related to the Kirk family was a crucial pawn for their success.

Jim was dressing into hand-made robes when Ayel entered his quarters. The robes were made of fine linen and sized perfectly to his nephew's masculine, Human, physique. The Commander had made sure of it, since it was he who had made the robes. Jim turned instantly at his arrival, a smile on his lips but clear worry emitting from his eyes.

"Uncle," Jim breathed so softly that Ayel almost didn't hear him. The Commander said nothing in reply. Jim moved about, trying to put his focus elsewhere. "It's almost time." Jim spoke into the silence. The words felt heavy, pushed.

"This is what you've been training for, Jim." Ayel finally said, stopping his nephew's hand in mid grasp for a small bag of pills. Jim looked up at him, then took his uncle's hand warmly into his. "You will now be able to avenge your people."

Jim laughed sadly, "I know, but I'm not agreeing to this to avenge them." The admittance gave Ayel a start, even more so when Jim asked if he could tell him something personal. Ayel allowed it, giving a small nod for Jim to continue. "I'm doing this to avenge my mother, to make father love me, and for…" he trailed off, looking away from the Romulan Commander to stare at his unmade bed instead, like this was too much a secret to share. Ayel squeezed his fingers, silently telling him that he could tell him anything. Jim nodded, mentally understanding. Their eyes locked. "For you, Uncle. I'm doing this for you too. That Vulcan destroyed not only our home, but he murdered our family. Took away your wife and your children. I wish to avenge them as well." This was the first time Ayel had ever heard Jim speak such nonsense.

"That's noble of you, Nephew," he disagreed, "but not necessary. I have met my peace with my lost family."

"No!" Jim shouted, bringing Ayel's hands to his lips. "It's not fair! He took them away! From us! From you! Uncle, you are a wonderful man, and have been wonderful to me… It's just not fair that I receive your blessings when your own offspring never got the chance!" So that's what this was about. He watched Jim fight with himself not to cry, and to help, Ayel placed a soft hand on his shoulder. Jim looked up at him, wide blue eyes betraying all that the Romulans had taught him.

"Jim, you feel undeserving of my guidance, but this you shouldn't feel. Just as my own son was to me, you are as family to me and as important. I would not choose anyone else in the cosmos to give my guidance. It is only for you, Nephew. All of this has always been for you."

Jim turned away from him, scoffing. "You sound just like my father, and yet, your words are more sincere." His tone dipped and softened. "I can believe it when you say it, but what about him? Nero would agree that this has all been for me, but I fear he's only interested in my success of his plan. He does not care for me like you." Ayel shook his head.

"You father loves you."

Jim spun back around. "Then why won't he say it?" The Romulan had nothing further to add. He had no reason. Jim blinked, nodded, and turned away again. "All I want is to destroy Spock. It's his fault father doesn't love me. Father thinks I'm going through with this to satisfy his grueling need of revenge, but that's not true. Uncle," he turned back on his heels and met his uncle's eyes. "the real reason I haven't fought with his orders is because I want Spock to feel the pain he's brought me. He took my home, my family, and what was left of it. I've never known a father's love and it's all _his_ fault!"

Ayel tried not to feel hurt by his words. _Was I not good enough to relieve that burning need? Was I not a suitable replacement?_

"I'll make him pay, Uncle." Jim declared. "I _will_ make him pay."

The Romulan shook his head and patted his shoulders, making Jim's figure rise with new strength. "All in due time, my nephew. But first, we must walk you through the procedure once more and have you ready to be sent to Earth." Ayel turned to leave but Jim's hand caught his wrist. He stopped and looked back, Jim's eyes peering directly into his very soul.

"I'm scared." Jim confessed.

Ayel inclined his head slightly. There was much to fear. "Me too."

…

The shuttle had been salvaged from an old slave trade vehicle. It sat in dock mocking Jim, foretelling of the plans soon to come about. The Human understood what he was supposed to do. He understood where and why he was, he had only wished that it hadn't come to this. Some part of him wanted to rebel against his father's orders, but the driving hate against the Vulcan he'd never known kept him in place.

He was from the future, raised here as a 'Kirk' so to proceed with his people's revenge. Deceit was taught to him at a young age, and now at twenty-two he would be implementing the tactics he learned to convince the Terrans that he was the long lost son of a man he'd never met, enter Starfleet, rise in the ranks and lead the way for his father to take back what was theirs from the Federation. In the meantime, Jim understood his duty as a student and future officer was to locate the younger version of Spock, murder him, and prevent the same events from happening in this universe as what had happened in his own. It sounded so easy, but Jim knew it would be much harder than how it was written on paper. All his life he was taught to hate, to train, to prepare, and now it was finally here.

Fear lingered in the back of his mind. Doubt planted his feet like cement.

"What if I fail?" Jim asked particularly nobody. He had been alone in the shuttle dock, so he when he heard a reply, it startled him.

"Is the boy who screamed at me 'I don't believe in no-win scenarios', doubting himself?" Jim turned quickly, ready for a fight, but his features relaxed when he studied the heavy brow and tattoos before him. It was his Uncle.

"You shouldn't be here," The Human warned, remembering that Nero said he was to start his mission alone, without so much as a farewell from the crew he'd known since birth. "Father will be most angry."

"So let him be angry." Ayel walked closer until they were four feet apart, challenging Nero's unspoken presence. "I've come to wish you luck, to tell you to be safe," Jim turned away, nodding silently. It really meant the world to him.

"Thank you, Uncle." Jim looked so worried, so hurt. The Commander had to fight with himself not to latch on to his nephew and never let go. Little did he know that Jim reflected his thoughts. For the next three years he would not see any of the crew he'd grown to love. No Nero, no Uncle, no _Narada_. Though he had studied much from the ship's computer databanks, he still felt unprepared for the real thing. What would real sunlight feel like? What would aliens be like? Would they even accept him?

Hands smoothed down the robes on his shoulders. Jim twisted in the grip to look at his uncle. The eyes that stared back were equally concerned. "Jim, you were born strong." Ayel reassured him. "You were raised strong. You can do this."

"I know I can do it." Jim confirmed, but doubt still crept into his tone. "It's just… you will all be so far away. I'll… miss you." Ayel found it hard to hide his smile.

"I'll miss you too." Suddenly, and without warning, Jim grasped the Romulan in a tight embrace. It had surprised Ayel, so much that he forgot to lace his arms around him until Jim's arms were snug tight.

"I don't think I've ever told you this, Uncle, but I… I love you." The same breath that he lost eleven years ago left the Commander again. When they pulled apart, Ayel was full of the love and respect that had formed from over the years of raising this strong Human. He looked at Jim, looked at the man he had become and smiled. He wanted to say it back, to tell his nephew he loved him too, but the words were never spoken. Try as he might, Jim was still a product of his and Nero's revenge. Telling this boy he loved him could chance the very retribution they wanted for this universe, but leaving the words unspoken might mean harm for his nephew. Ayel was speechless. Conflicted by his loyalty to Nero and his love for his nephew.

Jim knew his uncle wouldn't say it in return. He somehow knew it deep inside himself, but he didn't blame Ayel. He couldn't. It wasn't his fault. Once again, this pain he felt inside was the bastard child of his father's hatred—hatred caused by Spock. For the sake of a future him, he would end that Vulcan's life.

Jim stepped away from his uncle in harsh stomps. He was angry, uncomfortable, but most of all he was sad. The sooner he arrived on Earth, the better. Ayel only let him escape, watching the Human enter into the salvaged shuttle. When Jim was comfortable in the cockpit, he glanced outside to his Uncle whom promptly left the dock to allow his exit. So many things left unsaid.

_Good bye, Uncle._ Jim whispered into his thoughts.

_Good bye, Jim. _Silent tears dripped down Ayel's face, but he kept his back to the boy, not letting him see the pain this exodus was causing him.

And so began their plan.

Ayel tried not to cry, but he couldn't help it. Over twenty years he had raised that Human and grown attached to him. Tears fell silently from his face again as his sensors told him that Jim made it out of dock and was in transit to Earth. He would arrive there in two weeks by shuttle, his alibi and history set for him once grounded.

"I told you not to get attached." Came a harsh, familiar voice. Ayel turned from his sensors to his Captain. He walked slowly to him, paused, and studied the sensors with him—or that's what Nero wanted him to assume. Ayel knew the Captain was really studying the wet stains on his cheeks. "He's our puppet, Ayel. Puppet, and I warned you not to attach to him."

"You did, Sir." The Commander found he had nothing else to say and denying it would prove futile. "I failed you."

"It doesn't matter." Nero said off-handedly, the tone of his voice causing an anger to rise in Ayel's throat. "His attachment back for you will only spur on his anger for revenge. For this, I am grateful, but a weak Commander I had hoped it wouldn't make. You've gone soft, Ayel. Have you forgotten what Spock did to us?" Ayel tried to calm himself and was thankful he could respond more evenly than he thought possible.

"No, Sir."

"He killed your wife." Ayel nodded. "He killed your children." Ayel nodded. _Again_. "That Human boy was only a temporary fix, a bandage to hide the real wounds. Don't disillusion yourself to believe you loved him." They viewed the sensors together. "He's on his own now. And he had better succeed, Commander. Because if he doesn't, he's not the only one who will pay the same price as Spock, but _you_ will too." Ayel hid the knot in his throat and faced his Captain. Of all the talks they had shared on this plan, killing Jim had never been an option. _Never._

"If Jim fails," it was hard to hide the choke, "you're going to kill him?" Nero laughed like it was the easiest answer in the world.

"And you. If James fails, I'll kill him and the teacher that made him a failure." Ayel swallowed hard, not for himself, but for Jim. "So let us hope that your 'nephew', learned well. His life, and yours, depends on it."

…

Christopher Pike, like any Starfleet officer, liked the occasional bar to ease his mind from duty. Of course, he didn't actually go to the bar, but he figured letting his cadets run free and experience the different atmosphere of a vast no where would be good for them since they were usually at the academy or in the city.

The _USS Enterprise_ was still in the works. About three miles from the bar, you could go and view it in the quarry being put together piece by piece. Pike enjoyed watching the silver woman grow, and that was where he was heading now in an old land car. His cadets could handle themselves for a few minutes while he went and checked on the progress of the starship. Riverside was a relatively quiet town in Iowa and the chances of shit hitting the fan here was slim. At least, that's what he had thought, until he peered into his rear view mirror and saw behind him a large, metal-like structure crash head-on into the dirt paths behind him.

The ground shook.

Pike brought the vehicle to a skidding halt.

Panic surfaced into his ears, thinking that this was a piece of the starship he was going to see right now. He turned the car around hastily, but as he approached the twisted, smoking object, he was relieved to note it looked more like a shuttle than a piece of _Enterprise_. But that thought only brought new worries to his old heart. A shuttle? Here? In Riverside? His Starfleet training told him to be cautious, but his civil heart told him to help the injured inside—should have anyone survived.

The car stopped a good distance away from the smoking heap. Pike stepped from the vehicle guardedly, his hand hovering over the place of his communicator should he require assistance. As he walked forward, he heard snaps, electrical sparks, and the soft whistling of gases escaping the small shuttle. Further investigation revealed that this shuttle was made for one or two passengers, and by the looks of it, it was an escape shuttle of some sort.

He couldn't see into the cockpit. The smoke had filled the main chamber, obscuring whoever or whatever was inside. With careful, quick hands, he found the hatch and threw the twisted metal open, smoke pouring out like water to dissipate unevenly into the fresh Iowa air. He ducked the hatch and went inside, ready for anything, but fearing the worst. There were so many questions he had, but all left him the moment he saw a figure lying in the cockpit. Training took over and he rushed to the person's side.

The person looked like a Human male. Young, around his twenties or so. His eyes were closed and appeared to be sleeping, but Pike knew better. The crash had been so significant that he was probably unconscious, whoever he was. Small cuts and abrasions peppered his figure, but that wasn't what caught the Captain's eye. The boy was wearing strange robes and the front had fallen open to reveal small dog tags lying on his breast. Good. He needed to identify this young man. Reaching forward, he pulled up the small metal pieces to examine their contents—his heart froze.

_K_(the rest was scratched out)_ Winona. Officer ID: SL587243_

No. Way.

Pike flipped out his communicator. "Captain Pike to Starbase 1, do you read me?"

"_Loud and clear, Sir."_

"Run tag number SL587243."

"_Yes, Sir."_ He waited many moments, studying the young man before him. There was no way this boy was who he thought he was. There was just no way in cosmic hell this was possible. His thoughts were interrupted when the prompter returned. _"Tag SL587243 is MIA Officer Winona Kirk, last known station on the _USS Kelvin_. Assumed to be killed in action." _Pike's heart leaped into his throat, but he knew not to judge so soon. This was impossible, absolutely _impossible!_

"Starbase 1, send a medical unit to these coordinates and have a shuttle ready for emergency transport. I've found a crashed escape shuttle and the pilot requires emergency medical assistance."

"_Aye, Sir."_ Pike looked down at the sleeping man again. He had come to Riverside for a quiet routine check-up on a fantastic starship, but he hadn't expected to come across one of the most extraordinary discoveries since dilithium crystals—_if_ this was who he thought he was. Starfleet Command was going to shit a brick if it all panned out. Of this, the Captain was certain.

…

Jim's eyes fluttered open to the sound of whispered cursing. The air around him felt alien, too cold, and his body felt as though he'd gone several more rounds with his training crew. His vision blurred before it focused, and when it finally did, he was greeted by strangers hovering over him.

"He's waking." A strange, high-pitched voice said to the other. The older man nodded and peered down at him.

"You okay, boy?" he asked with a tone that was foreign to him. Jim lolled his head over once, groaned and tried to force himself to sit up. Strange aliens presented themselves around him and ushered him to remain still, but Jim refused, pushing them away and earning his right to sit. The older man ordered them to let him, and they backed off. Now vertical, Jim could analyze his surroundings.

It looked like a medical room, but it was brighter, cleaner, and more alien to him than the Medical on the _Narada_. The aliens in the room weren't so alien after all as Jim noticed their soft, pink skin, rounded ears, and different coloured eyes, skin, and hair. These people were Human, much like how he looked since the Romulan in him was so obscure. There was no doubt left in his mind that he had reached Earth, but that fact made his heart tremble. His family was now farther away then they had ever been to him.

Jim was alone.

"What's your name, son?" The older man suddenly asked. Jim looked up at him and immediately determined that he liked this guy. He reminded him much of Ayel, with soft caring eyes, but a demeanour that meant he wouldn't bullshit for anything. Jim decided he would listen to this man.

"James Tiberius Kirk." He told him proudly, with true Romulan attitude. The people in the room went into whispers as the older man nodded, telling the others to shut up. He then came really close to Jim in his bed, leaning down to get within whispering range. His smile was gentle, and Jim appreciated it.

"I'm Captain Christopher Pike. I found you and your shuttle just off in the Riverside Shipyard. Why don't we start off easy and you tell me how you got here?"

"With all due respect, Sir," Jim started, "I appreciate your kindness but I don't know you nor can I confirm who you are. How I obtained my vessel and plotted my course is only for me to know. How do I know you're not slavers like them?" It was a good way to lead into the lie Ayel and Nero had told him all his life. Behind the Human, he could see they were still running his blood test and Jim hoped that the pills he'd been taking since he was five would be enough to deceive the test into thinking he was fully Human and blood related to the strange Humans known as Winona and George Kirk. His lying life story would take his mind off of it, but he still worried they would discover he was half-Romulan and lock him in the prisons his father told him were much like the Klingons'. The man named Christopher took his bait.

"Slavers?"

"Yes, Sir, slavers. I'm a run-away and I don't intend on being brought back to be sold as Human meat for Orion and Romulan dogs." His tone pissed Pike off, but not in the usual way his cadets did when they stepped out of line. This boy, claiming to be a Kirk, was different from them somehow, and he supposed it was that his cadets were just brats and this boy had every right to be suspicious and angry. The shuttle had been confirmed as a trader vessel from the Orion quadrants, so it was only natural to assume this young man had seen things no man his age should ever see.

Thinking it best, Pike decided to comply with the boy. It didn't really matter to him if he checked out to be related to the Kirks or not, the fact was that James was a survivor of slave trading and all cynical attitudes needed to be turned into trust if they were going to get some answers. He took out his badges and shown them to the young man who looked them over cautiously.

Jim's eyes flit back and forth between the badge and Pike, more or less to stall for time, he knew this man was probably who he said he was. In his mind he was thinking of ways he could escape should the pills prove worthless and they discover whom he really was, but all plans seemed doubtful. They appeared to be in space; high above the Earth atmosphere, and the chances of him being able to commandeer a shuttle and make a run back for the _Narada_ was slim. In that moment, Jim decided that if he was revealed, he would refuse interrogation and sooner commit suicide than give his people away.

"I believe you." Jim said flatly when he had stalled as long as he could. What looked to be a nurse, a beautiful nurse, then approached the Captain with a data device and whispered into his ear something Jim couldn't understand. Then after many moments, Pike's eyes shocked open and both he and the nurse stared down at him as though he was a ghost.

Oh shit. They knew he was Romulan. His body froze and tensed, Jim trying to figure out the best way to run when suddenly Pike's eyes relaxed and a smile crossed his lips. Jim didn't move. Pike's smile then gradually bloomed into a grin and Jim swore he saw a wetness form in the older man's eyes.

"It appears I can say the same thing, Mr. Kirk." He paused. "I believe you." Jim's body went slack from relief that his secret was still safe. "Welcome home."

…

Dr. Aev on the _Narada_ had told him that these pills, taken daily, would blend into his DNA and years from now convince the Terrans that he was fully Human and of blood relation to the Kirks. Jim, at the time, had been doubtful, but his Uncle assured him several times throughout his life that it would work and Jim had nothing to fear. Now it seemed to be proved true as the Starfleet operatives moved him from Starbase 1 to Riverside General Hospital for recovery and visits.

And visits Jim got. In overwhelming variety.

Starfleet officials and personnel were coming and going on the hour. Some questioned him, others confirming his story, but mostly his arrival and recovery had been secluded and kept within Starfleet persons. Captain Pike had remained with him the entire time, shooing people out, trying to give him peace, but it appeared even he couldn't stave them off for long. When he did manage to buy Jim some quiet time, Jim decided to ask what the hell it was all about. Surely his father and uncle hadn't mentioned he'd receive this much attention. Who were the Kirks to Starfleet?

Pike locked the door and sighed. "They're just astonished, Jim." The Captain said. Jim had asked him to call him 'Jim' hours before. "Your father, George Kirk, had saved nearly six hundred lives in ten minutes of captaining the _Kelvin_. When your mother was reported missing in action, all was assumed that their new child had died as well." He turned and looked Jim square in the eyes. His glance was captivatingly serious. "You're, quite literally, the luckiest bastard in the universe. DNA is a straight match, age is appropriate, and we all want to know how and why."

Jim shrugged. "How do you think I feel? All I've ever known is aliens and this," he lifted up the dog tags that belonged to the strange woman he was claiming as his mother, "I have questions too, but really, I'm just glad to be home." It was a lie and saying it stung Jim deeply in his heart. This wasn't his home. _This_ was alien to him.

Pike came over to him and sat in the chair beside his bed. "So you've escaped the fate of an illegal slave trading ring. Now that you're here, what do you plan to do? I'm going to assume that news doesn't travel pass Antares and you didn't even know who or what your family really was. Coming to Earth must have been an after thought."

"It was." Jim told him. More lies. "But now I'm not too sure. I was just eager to get away from the prisons and whips." That wasn't a complete lie. The _Narada_ had seemed like a prison to him, and his father was generous with the amount of whippings he often gave him. It was easy to let the pain show on his face as he remembered the brutal training and harsh torture Nero gave him. Pike interpreted it all the same. He took Jim's hand and squeezed just like Ayel used to do.

"Well, you're not there anymore and you'll never have to be again." It looked like the Captain was going to say something more, but the door was suddenly knocked on, making them both give a startle. Pike stood up annoyed and unlocked the door, stepping outside to see who it was. Jim hoped it wasn't more inquiring Starfleet officials. He was tired of relaying the same lie over and over again. Thankfully Jim wouldn't have to, because when Pike re-entered, with him came a strange, tall man. His hair was chestnut brown, and eyes as beautiful hazel like Ayel's. A smile was warm on his face, and his features were puffy like he had been crying. The moment his gaze met Jim's, the tears had been confirmed as the man started sobbing.

Jim was so confused.

"Jim," Pike began slowly as the man tried to calm himself, "I'd like you to meet your last living relative. This is your older brother, Samuel Kirk." The person named Samuel didn't wait any longer and rushed to his bed side. He looked Jim over and over again, tears sliding out from under his lids. His movements were frantic, unsteady, but the man couldn't have looked happier.

"You look just like our father." Samuel started between chokes. "I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost the baby brother I'd never known." The scene was so emotional but Jim couldn't be upset with him. This wasn't his brother. But, to help ease the man who thought he was, he reached his arms out and attempted to hug the sobbing fool. Samuel looked surprised, but accepted the offer and hugged his 'brother' with a wet face. The crying must have been contagious because Jim found wetness stinging into his own eyes. He wasn't upset, but the tears came naturally and unexpectedly Jim realized why he was crying. These people were reminding him so much of his Uncle, and the pain that he may not see him again was finally bleeding in full. Samuel cried for a reunion. Jim cried for a departing.

Together they cried as fools.

Christopher watched the reunion. He was almost moved to tears himself at seeing Sam's cool composure drop off into oblivion. When Starfleet called him, he knew Sam must have been shocked, and the speed at which he returned to Earth was nothing short of proof of that, but Sam was strong like his father and had managed to become a great scientist in Starfleet. It was amazing to see him fall into the emotional tides he normally kept himself away from, but Pike couldn't blame him. This was historic for them. Brothers parted over time and brought back together as one.

When the scene began to die down and the brothers released from one another, Pike decided to make Jim an offer. He walked to them and stood over the laying boy and his brother. "Jim, I have a proposal for you." He waited until he had his attention. "Since you've no where else to go and a new life ahead of you, I propose you enlist in Starfleet. Full responsibility and charges on me, of course." Sam's eyes went wide, then angry.

"No!" He shouted, removing himself from Jim. "There's no way in hell I'm going to allow that! Our father died serving in Starfleet and now you want to put my baby brother right back out there? Right back in space where he was almost made into a slave? Are you out of your mind?"

"He has nothing else," Pike stated back, calmly, "and need I remind you that _you're_ serving in Starfleet as well, it's not like staying with you won't accomplish the same thing. Starfleet can give him a place to stay, encourage learning, and give him a career." He turned and looked down at the younger Kirk. "Besides, it's really up to him what he wants to do."

Jim switched glances between his 'brother' and the Captain. Samuel looked upset, but Jim knew what he had to do. His orders were to join Starfleet and annihilate Spock's younger counterpart. That's what he was going to do. His 'brother' would just have to accept it.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but Captain Pike's right. I don't have anything here and whether it's with you or by my choice, space is all that's left for me. Furthermore," he sat up and reached over to wipe away Sam's tears, "by becoming an officer, I can help prevent the crimes that almost made me a slave. I can help save others who were destined for my same fate. I think the Captain's right. I should enlist." Samuel began a new leak of tears and grasped Jim tightly around his neck.

"But what if you go out and really die this time? What will that leave for me? We're the only Kirks left!" Jim rubbed his back much like his Uncle used to do for him when he was upset. It had the desired effect.

"I know this is hard, Sam. But, trust me. I _need_ to do this." _For my uncle. For my mother. For Romulus. I'm sorry, stranger, but they're my real family and they have prevalence over you._

Samuel let him go, leaving a dark wet spot on Jim's shoulder. He nodded, wiping his own tears away, then said, "You're right. It's probably what our father would have wanted." He turned away briefly to grab a tissue and wipe his face. "I know this must all be shocking for you, Jim. I'm sorry for my behaviour. It's just that I've been all alone for so long, thinking my family had been taken from me, and yet, here you are." He hesitated. "I'm thankful—for everything—and I'll respect any decision you make. You are my brother after all." He breathed deeply and then sighed. "So I guess this will be our first hello and our final good bye?"

Jim shook his head. "Doesn't have to be."

"Jim can send you messages on his progress straight to your site on Deneva." Pike interjected. "I'll send you updates too and maybe we can even get him stationed there once he graduates." Sam smiled, blinked back tears and nodded.

"I'd like that."

"Then it's all settled." Pike announced. He looked down to Jim and smiled. "Are you ready to follow after your father and make Starfleet fear the name 'Kirk' again?" Jim offered a small nod then looked out the large window of his medical room, staring off into the distant, twinkling stars far above Earth. He knew his Uncle must have been looking at them too and smiling back at him and his strength. With his heart full of hope and retribution for his people, Jim nodded again and turned fierce blue eyes back up to the Captain.

"I'm ready."

...

A/N: Reunions always make me cry. It's sad that Jim doesn't know Sam's his real brother and it's even sadder that Jim's living not only the lie Nero set up for him, but living an entire lie surrounding his birth. Poor Jim, the pawn in Nero's plan. I fear he'll be the worst one hurt when this is all over, but at least now we're getting into the heart of the story. Next up: Starfleet Academy! Let's see how IThinkI'mRomulan!Jim handles 'aliens' and a world outside a ship. Suggestions and ideas are always welcome! Thank you to those of you who've given me feedback and your thoughts. I really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

...

The original plan was for Jim to land safely in a public area to get Starfleet's attention and initiate his bogus life story and somehow convince them to allow him to join Starfleet. Though not entirely what he expected, Jim was thankful for the shuttle malfunction that landed him in Captain Christopher Pike's care. With him on Jim's side, he was able to learn about his fake family and all that Starfleet had to offer him. Jim thought him a fool to willingly give out the information to someone he thought was the son of a hero, but who was he to complain? By having Pike, it made his job easier since the Captain took over the situation for him, doing the paper work and setting him up to be officially enlisted into the Starfleet service. Christopher Pike was a great ally in his endeavour; it was a sad notion to remember that he'd have to betray him at some point in the future.

He was in the hospital for no more than two days, not really for anything substantial, but mainly just to avoid more questioning officials. When he was released, Jim couldn't have been happier. For forty-eight hours he'd been bombarded with inquiries and more lies about his 'slave' life. It was a good thing the _Narada_ had a whole data bank dedicated to Orion slave traders or Jim would have been fucked over the details.

The most depressing part of the release was seeing his 'brother' try to hold back emotions and say goodbye. Jim had to admit the guy was kind and friendly and he would have loved to have grown up with him as a step brother or something, but time was of the essence. If he lingered and tried to play 'long lost puppy' any longer, he'd be cutting it close to get through Starfleet and graduate on time for the elder Spock's arrival. It was bad enough he was already a year behind, but his Uncle had assured him that their studies together would enable him to pass in three years instead of the normal four. Why they waited an extra year, no one ever told him, but Jim had an inkling that his Uncle had something to do with it. Their long, silent good bye had spoken volumes to him and did little to alleviate the suspicion. His uncle really did care for him, even if he never said it aloud.

_But caring is not the same as loving,_ Jim reminded himself, and the resentment for the unknown Vulcan flared again.

Jim stepped out from the double doors of the hospital. The cool evening air was slowly becoming night and the sight took the Human's breath away. It was the first time he'd ever stepped foot on a planet before and the colours, the sounds, and the feeling was so alien to him. Even the dirt below his boots was as strange to him as the medical food they had tried to feed him. He leaned down and touched it, grasping the tiny particles in his fingers and rubbing it in his grip. It was so grainy and unusual. Jim liked it.

"I've never seen someone enthralled about dirt before." The sudden voice startled Jim to the point his reflexes made him jump up and ready for any attack. Captain Pike stood behind him, his hands raised to signal the younger man that he saw he surprised him and wasn't in any way a threat. Jim relaxed, feeling silly for just about assaulting his Starfleet ticket. Jim looked away.

"Dirt is a luxury where I'm from." He told the Captain under his breath, his muscles still tense from the unexpected guest. Pike offered him a nod and smiled.

"It's strange," the Captain replied, "every day we see it and take it for granted. It takes people like you to remind us that what we have is special." Jim nodded, not really agreeing with him but feeling like he should respond anyway.

"Space is all I've ever known." Jim confessed, not really sure why he was saying it. He tilted his head and looked up at the stars peering back through the Earth atmosphere. "I know more about what's up there than I do down here. It's all so _alien_ to me. Different."

"You'll get used to it, and once you get through Starfleet, you'll be right back up there again in the safe arms of Mother Universe. You just need your land legs."

Jim laughed at the strange Human term, "You're right. When I left—" _my family_ "—the slavers, I had no idea what Earth was going to be like. I'd heard stories and did some research but nothing really prepares you for the real thing." He lowered his head, feeling sadness embrace his heart in reminder that he couldn't look at the stars without thinking of Ayel. "I miss them." He told Pike without knowing it, but thankfully the Captain interpreted differently than how he was meaning.

Christopher placed a warm hand on his shoulder, shaking him a bit with understanding for the wrong assumption. "As long as you never give up, Jim, and come out of Starfleet a better man than you will when you go in, you can save them. All of those you left behind. We'll free them." Jim nodded and raised his eyes to meet those of the Captain. He was smiling back, a fatherly smile that really meant the world to Jim. It was strange that this man made him feel so safe when they had just met. It was like Christopher was the Human version of his uncle, always there and always supportive. Jim tore his eyes away, sick with himself to think this _Federation_ _Human_ was anything like Ayel. Pike didn't notice his internal disgust.

"It's getting late," the Captain suddenly said, breaking Jim thoughts, "and we need to get to the Shipyard soon if we're going to make it back to the Academy in time." Christopher shuffled in his coat for a communication device, the likes of which Jim had never seen before. "Your escape shuttle is still where it landed about a mile from here, but it's taped off with Starfleet officers watching over it until Command sends a truck to take it back for study." He looked at Jim who stiffened, remembering he still had belongings on the shuttle. Pike seemed to read his thoughts and answered accordingly. "I'm going to give you access to it to get anything off the shuttle before they take it. Personal belongings, records, anything you left behind that you think will be useful for your new life in Starfleet. When you finish, you'll meet me at the Shipyard and we'll shove off. Savvy?" Jim told him he understood. This was good, too, he needed to get his DNA pill supply if he was going to successfully keep up this charade. Also, this was a great opportunity to explore what little of Earth he could.

Just as he began off in the direction Pike had told him his shuttle was located, the Captain grasped his arm and pulled him back.

"Whoa, you didn't think you were going out there alone, did you?" Jim searched him quizzically.

"You don't trust me, Captain?" Jim asked, and he was hoping to get a 'yes' from him since that would have been the most intelligent move on Pike's part since he'd met him, but Pike only shook his head and chuckled.

"It's not that, it's that you're new here and the last thing I need is for you to get lost. If you don't mind, I'm going to give you an escort." Well, it wasn't exactly a 'yes', but it was better than Pike trusting him to run around on his own. It was nice to see not all Starfleet officers were so stupid.

Jim watched as the Captain made a call through his communication device and shortly beamed down another officer. The person materialized right in front of them, probably coming straight from Starbase 1, and slowly coalesced into a dark skinned woman with long black hair, radiant brown eyes, and wearing a red cadet Starfleet uniform. When she was whole, she immediately saluted to Pike.

"At ease," Christopher told her, then pointed to Jim, "this is the boy I was telling you about, Cadet. Your instructions are to take him to the shuttle and then back to the Shipyard for departure. Think you can handle it?"

"Aye, Sir." She said in a strong voice. Jim smiled, she looked strong to him, almost Romulan strong, and she was nothing like he had ever seen. Women on the _Narada_ were scarce, so few that Jim could actually count them on one hand. Seeing this Human woman was quite a treat for him and he felt strange urges stir in his mind and body for her. He recognized them as attraction, but kept himself under control since this was no time to discover how much Human-like he really was. He instead, offered her a sincere smile and extended his hand in greeting.

"Jim Kirk." He told her. She eyed him, and shook his hand.

"Uhura."

He laughed at the hard military response. He expected at least a full name from his escort, everyone else had given him complete names. "No last names where you come from, Ms. Uhura?"

She smothered a teasing smile, "Uhura _is_ my last name."

"Okay," Jim conceded, liking the playfulness she was offering him though it wasn't really deterring his growing attraction for her, "no first names?" She started off, saluting her superior and motioning for Jim to follow her. He caught up with her easy.

"My name is of little importance. I'm instructed to escort you, not become your friend." That reaction made him like her even more. She was just like how he pictured a Romulan woman his age would act. Was he blushing? He couldn't tell.

Cadet Uhura became the light at the end of the tunnel for him as she took him back to the shuttle. She wasn't such a hard-ass as the other officers had appeared to be, and her feminine qualities had really set the bar for how much stress he'd experienced over the past two days. She didn't question him about where he came from or who he was (something Jim was thankful for), so there wasn't any conversation going on, and Jim decided to play a game with her. If she wasn't going to give him her name, then Jim would guess, much like how he used to try and guess Ayel's middle name when he was six. She didn't look really angry when he tried to do this, but moderately annoyed and somewhat tolerant. It was better than silence, after all, and way better than her dissecting him for bullshit answers.

"Dhael?"

"No." She replied.

"Jhu?"

"Wrong again."

"I bet it's Mhai."

"Keep trying, Mr. Kirk." They continued this way all the way to shuttle, and even so when Jim had collected all he needed and threw the tiny bag over his shoulder for their return. There hadn't been much for him to grab, just his pills and a small necklace Ayel had made him. Everything else could be studied without worry of them finding out where he had really come from. The game continued even with their descent back into the small town. So transfixed on her, he was, that he hardly noticed the town around them and gave most of his attention to the cadet. She was very appealing.

"S'Tarleya?"

"No, Mr. Kirk." She laughed. That must have been the eightieth name he'd listed.

"Ael?"

"Mr. Kirk," she started and stopped them completely from progressing any further into the town. They were nearly surrounded by darkness now, the small town's alleyways and streets their scenery, but he could still make out the features of her face due to the streetlights. She turned and looked at him pointedly, her brows raised and jaw set. "is there a reason you're only listing Romulan female names?" Jim went to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. Oops, he hadn't meant for that to happen. He had felt so at ease with her that he had forgotten he was supposed to be incognito. He quickly diverted her question with the first Terran name he could think of.

"Tabitha. You _totally_ look like a Tabitha. That's _got_ to be your name."

"Mr. Kirk," she tried, but Jim stopped her.

"Shh, Tabitha, if you keep stopping us we're going to be late." Her eyes looked confused by his sudden off-hand teasing and she appeared like she wanted to say more and probably would have had a shout not interrupted her.

Both froze and looked around. The yell happened again.

"Did you hear that?" He asked Ms. Uhura, his eyes scanning around them in the darkness.

"It sounds like someone is in trouble." She confirmed, also looking around. Both of their trainings took over, Uhura's Starfleet protocol telling her to be cautious of her environment and Jim's telling him to locate and determine the source. It was late and there weren't any others around. In such a small town like Riverside, Jim noticed, it appeared not many people liked to be out past midnight, and those who were, were in the local bars where the music could be heard a good few blocks away. Uhura and Jim's minds came to the same conclusion though they didn't speak; it could only be troublemakers.

Uhura had only been here two days and already understood how the Riverside men liked to play. She'd gone to a bar to hang out with some of her friends and had been approached by three who wanted nothing more but to make her a bed warmer. Though it wasn't brought to it, her friend Barry Giotto had stayed by her side and kept the assholes of the town at bay and out of fights. Giotto wasn't a cadet you fucked with and Uhura knew this very well since she'd seen the guy in more fights than was illegally allowed inside Starfleet. She silently wished he were here now because if any thugs decided to jump her and her recently found hero's baby, she might not be able to defend them both.

"Stay close to me," Uhura ordered Jim when the shout was heard again and much closer, "you're my responsibility and—" but her words fell short when she realized that Jim wasn't behind her or around her for that matter. She turned desperately, looking for the stupid man and saw him just in time diving into an alley. "Kirk!" She berated in a whisper, but whether he heard her or not couldn't be confirmed. What could be confirmed was that the streetlights were showing shadows on the back alley walls of a brawl and Kirk was heading right for it. She went after him, cursing under her breath that she really didn't need this shit on her record. Why couldn't she have escorted a coma patient instead? She just had to agree to play baby sitter for some guy who just happened not to be dead after twenty years.

Jim didn't mean to leave Uhura behind, but he was thankful for the interruption. This would take her thoughts away from his blunder, but also the shouts were getting louder. If there was one thing Ayel had taught him that Nero hadn't, it was to always help those in need, it was a part of Romulan code. Whoever this person was struggling in the alley obviously needed some assistance and Jim would provide it. He was uncertain how Uhura would react with her _Federation regulations_, but Jim knew what he had to do. Federation pigs might call back up and leave the injured for whoever was passing by, but Jim knew in his half-Romulan blood that he wasn't going to let that happen. He was a man of action and the Federation could keep their pristine uniforms while Jim dirtied his.

He turned a corner and finally found the source of the struggle. It looked like two large Human males were beating up on a smaller Human male. He didn't know what they were fighting over but Jim intervened knowing that two against one wasn't very fair odds.

"Hey!" Jim shouted at them. The two with their fists in the air and holding the other man's shirt glared at him. "Don't you think it's a little unfair to fight two against one?" The men released the other man who promptly fell to the ground with a _thud_.

"You got something to say, blondie?" One sneered while popping his knuckles. "Wanna join our friend here?"

"Kirk!" Uhura appeared from nowhere, catching her breath and turning the corner right as the men loomed towards Jim. He put his hand up over her in defense when he noticed the males had caught sight of her. "_You_." Uhura hissed, recognizing the man as one of the guys who hit on her yesterday.

"Well, if it isn't the pretty-pretty Starfleet tramp." He smiled an ugly smile. "Change your mind about my offer?"

"Do you know this guy?" Jim asked her suddenly.

"Hardly. He's one of the assholes from the bars." Jim analyzed the men again and wasn't very surprised by their appearance or demeanour. This had been exactly what Nero told him Humans were like, and Jim didn't like what he saw. The Terrans called them 'thugs' or 'bullies', or as Uhrua so kindly put it 'assholes'. Jim found himself wanting nothing more than to bash their faces in for being dicks and beating up one man with two sets of fists. It was sickening and lacked the honour of a true fight. But then, Jim turned and looked at Uhura, so sweet and strong for a Human female and found himself wondering if most Humans were like her or like them. He was left little time to ponder on that thought as the men closed in. They made cat-calls to Uhura, really pissing Jim off, but they were bigger than they looked. Jim kept the cadet behind him, knowing he would defend her if it came to it, but he was upset with himself that he was backing up so defensively from cowards like them. It was the first time he was about to initiate a fight and have to protect someone at the same time.

"Look, he's running scared!" One said, leaning closer like a snake.

"What's the matter, blondie? You were so brave a minute ago!" Oh, that was really grating on his nerves. Just when he was about to make the first move, someone else did it for him and in the blink of an eye. The other guy they'd been roughing up came up behind the male in the back, smashing what looked to be a whiskey bottle over his head. The rest happened so fast, Jim would barely comprehend it.

The men began to fight, the one in front charging Jim and throwing a large fist to his face. Jim avoided it marginally, instead ducking below it and using his left foot to swipe the man off his feet. Uhura was doing her fair share too, kicking and punching at the same man Jim was fighting. It was almost like they were tag-teaming each other. After one got a hit in, they tagged off and the other began. The male in the back seemed to be having a difficult time too, his opponent apparently well enough now with evened odds and fighting him with a bottle and fists.

They continued like this for what felt like an eternity until the man in the back managed to crash the bottle into pieces over his enemy, rendering him unconscious, and Uhura and Jim together punched their attacker so hard in the gut and back that he promptly fell over to the ground in a mass of pain. All three of them stood heaving for their breaths as the ugly thug slammed face first into the dirt.

"You know your shit." Jim complimented the dark-skinned cadet. She was just getting sexier and sexier as the time went on. Was she sure she wasn't secretly Romulan too?

"So do you." She complimented back. "And here I thought you were only a refugee with little to no knowledge of how to save your own ass." Jim snickered at her playfulness again; he really liked her sense of humour.

"Well, not _only_." He teased back, earning a beautiful smile from her.

The man that they had originally come to save wobbled and fell to the ground. Uhura and Jim rushed to his side quickly, Uhura taking his shoulders and Jim propping up his back. "You okay?" Jim asked the man. Now that they weren't fighting for their lives, Jim could really take a look at him. He was scruffy looking, his dark hair disheveled and thrown about, with small cuts and bruises lining his face, neck and jaw. It took him a moment to respond and what came out sounded like a burbled mess. Uhura stood.

"I'll call for help and a doctor." She told him and walked a few feet away, taking out a communication device that looked exactly like Pike's. Jim rolled his eyes, why didn't she do that _before_ they had gotten into this? Oh yeah, it was _Jim_ who had gone in head first. Never mind.

While she signaled someone to come to their aide, Jim tried to help the man before him. He groaned a mumbled something, but Jim couldn't get close enough to him to understand because his breath smelled like day-old bourbon. It took many tries before Jim could make sense of anything the Human was trying to say, and by make sense, it was more of a disgruntled shout.

"Damnit!' The man groaned when Jim had asked for the fifth time for him to repeat himself, "Don't call a damn doctor! _I_ _am_ _a doctor!_" He began shuffling around, removing Jim's hands violently from his person as he tried to stand. Jim remained, helping him steady on his obviously drunken feet. "Can't you see I'm fine?" He shouted at them, "Now leave me alone!" Before anyone could offer any more assistance, he started off down the alley.

"Sir, you probably shouldn't move!" Uhura called from her place, looking at Jim and subliminally telling him to go after the drunkard. Jim responded and followed the hazy steps, but the man claiming to be a doctor fought him off, throwing Jim's hands away like they were the filthiest things to ever grace his flesh.

"I said, leave me alone! Or don't you understand standard?"

"I understand you," Jim wearily smiled, "it's just that you're injured, drunk, and probably crazy. I couldn't live with myself if I let you walk away in such a state."

"Crazy? _Crazy?_ I'll show you crazy you damn idiot!" And with that, the crazy doctor swung an uneasy and drunken fist that Jim easily dodged, but the forward weight came as a surprise to the doctor's unsteady state and made him topple over. Jim caught him before he hit the ground, the man's face landing directly into Jim's breast. The drunkard relaxed and mumbled something incoherent into him.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The doctor lifted his face and peered up blearily at him. He looked angry, but Jim was beginning to notice that was the only expression the guy seemed to be able to make.

"I said, I might throw up on you." With no more information needed, Jim hurriedly eased the man back down to the ground, making sure his face was pointing towards the alley and not him. The man appeared grateful not to be moving anymore.

"Thanks, kid," he said at length, "I mean for stopping those idiots and all that. Damned fools."

"Yeah, about that," Jim started, using the man's coat to wipe up the blood and dirt off the doctor's face. He looked so out-of-it that he probably didn't even know Jim was doing it. "why were they attacking you?" The doctor gave a weak shrug.

"They had pent up fury and I just happened to be a drunk passing by. You do the math." In that moment, he lifted up the broken bottle in his hands as though he was going to drink from it, but stopped halfway to his lips when he realized it was missing the most important part. Jim tried not to laugh at him.

"I'm not a doctor, Sir, but I'm pretty sure I'm qualified to tell you when you've had enough." The doctor stared at the bottle, stared at Jim, then tossed the glass away.

"You're prob'ly right."

Uhura suddenly joined them, taking up the doctor's other side. "A medical team is on their way. How's he doing?" He stared at the woman and blinked a few times, answering before Jim had a chance.

"Much better, now that you're here, Miss." She rolled her eyes, but gave a smile. Jim studied them and determined in that moment that Humans were weird. What the hell kind of species drinks themselves into a drunken stupor? Jim decided to ask, mainly to stall for time until the medical unit arrived.

"If I may ask, what made you decide to drink yourself into an alleyway? Looking for trouble, Sir?"

"First of all," the doctor began gruffly, "don't call me 'sir'. The name's Leonard McCoy. Second of all," McCoy looked around for a moment, patting his pockets and pants, "where the _hell_ is my brandy?" He peered over at the men still lying unconscious in the alleyway with them. "Fucking bastards prob'ly took it." The doctor closed his eyes and leaned his head back. This McCoy person was quite a character. Jim had never met anyone like him before. "Anyway," he began again, "I _was_ drinking to hopefully numb my brain from the pain my bitch ex-wife left me, but it seems those fuckers wanted to make sure I'd feel it all the way down to my bones! Honestly, I'm a little upset they didn't kill me. I've got nothing left and a shitload of memories to burn away." Jim and Uhura looked at each other, but neither knew what to say. Leonard dropped his eyes to stare at something on his chest, then picked and flicked away some threads from his coat. Jim didn't know why he did it, but he sighed and took the man's arm into his hand. He felt a strange need to help him, to give McCoy some hope even if he himself was lacking in that department at the moment.

"Hey, I've got an idea and it's probably better than wasting yourself away." It'd be a stretch and the chances of the doctor accepting the proposal were slim, but anything would be better than dying in an alleyway. He didn't continue until the McCoy gave a grunt that he was listening. "Right now, I'm on my way to join Starfleet. You should come with us." The doctor gave him a sideways glance and barely looked at him. "If you've really got nothing left, maybe they can give you something to look forward to." McCoy sighed. The rejection was expected.

"I don't go _up_, kid." He grumbled, taking his arm away. "Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence."

"What have you got to lose?" Uhura asked softly. "It sounds better than numbing your mind with alcohol into darkness and silence."

McCoy gave a burping laugh, "Honey, you don't know my ex-wife. She'll find a way to take not only this planet in the divorce, but probably the space I'm going warp through, too!" The doctor looked like he was going to say more, but his lids dropped like heavy doors shutting and before they knew it, McCoy was fast asleep. His body weight made him lean over on Jim and he couldn't help but pity the poor Human fool. The doctor had obviously been through a lot recently and Jim wasn't an idiot. Though raised on a mining ship, even he knew what a divorce was and how terrible the things were. Jim looked up at Uhura who shook her head, there really was nothing more they could do.

While holding the doctor, Jim wondered if this was exactly what he looked like when his uncle used to let him sleep in his arms after a hard training day. So hopeless and lonely. He'd only been here two days and already Jim was noticing the difference between the data banks and real Humans. They were so strange to him, full of life and hope, like Sam, but misery and woe, like poor Leonard. Diverse and variable. "_The emotional states of Humans are not unlike the weather on Romulus; predictable but varying in strength."_ he recalled his uncle telling him once. The Humans he'd met so far were nothing like how Nero had taught him to view the creatures, as brash, unethical and self-destroying beasts—well, _some_ had appeared like that, but not all of them. It was conflicting to him.

Hefting up the doctor on his shoulder, Jim took on the burdens of the doctor mentally and physically. "What are you doing?" Uhura asked.

"Getting him out of the alley." Jim told her, not giving any evidence that she should follow or stay there. "I don't want to be here anymore and I don't think he does either." Uhura stared at him with wide, untranslating eyes.

"Let me help you." She offered at length, and took up the doctor's other shoulder. Her help really eased the weight and divided it between them.

And together they carried the doctor out of the alley, unbeknownst to them straight into their hearts.

His uncle would have been proud.

…

McCoy felt like he was floating, even though his head felt like a pounding mess. He opened his eyes leisurely, so not to hurt the headache, and wasn't too surprised to see he was in a hospital, but he _was_ surprised to see that kid with him sitting right next to his bed.

"Where am I?" He managed to ask. The kid perked up, a smile forming on his lips.

"We're at Starfleet Academy, in Medical. You've been asleep the whole time." Leonard looked around blearily, but thankful his vision wasn't too bad off and most of the drunkenness had faded. He looked himself over and stopped when the kid prompted him again.

"Don't worry, everything's there, right down to your bones." The way he said 'bones' almost sounded like it was sheathed in a silent joke. McCoy didn't laugh or smile like it was one.

"Why the hell am I at Starfleet Academy? Wasn't I in an alley, oh I don't know, getting shitfaced or something?" The stranger nodded, then shook his head.

"Well, you were, but not anymore. I know you said you didn't go 'up', but I figured leaving you in the alley back in Riverside would have been a bad idea. I couldn't just leave you, so I took you with me." Bones rolled his eyes and plopped his head back on his pillow. It was surprisingly comfy.

"Great." He began. "I've been kidnapped by a kid and forced into service!"

"Hey," the younger man disagreed and brought over a small glass of water, "I'm not a kid, and I didn't kidnap you. Not to mention you're only recovering here, it's not like I told them to draft you."

"Yeah, whatever." McCoy told him and snatched the glass, gulping down its contents quickly before handing the glass back over to a very confused looking stranger. He took it willingly and sat the glass down on the bedside table. Leonard was hoping that his irritated silence would be enough to make the guy leave, but oddly, he remained, staring at him like he was the most interesting thing in the universe. After several moments of invading his personal space with his eyes, the doctor barked at him. "You got an eye problem or something? Go on, _get!_ Go snatch some other helpless drunk from another alley and bring his ass here!" The guy didn't move, only raised his brows silently and began to laugh. Now it was McCoy's turn to show confusion. "What the hell's so funny?"

"You." He told him through a titter. "I figured a good night's sleep would make you a little nicer but you're just as crabby sober as you are drunk."

McCoy snorted, "Yeah, well, live my life for one day and you'd be crabby too, kid."

"Jim." He suddenly said in a soft tone. McCoy looked up at him in question. "Jim," he continued, "that's my name. Not 'kid'." Their eyes locked and Leonard, for an unknown reason, smiled at that.

"Alright. Jim." He turned away from him and yawned. "So, Jim, why are you still here? It's not a habit of mine to meet strangers and wake up with them the next morning—well, unless you wanna count my ex-wife—and I'm going to assume it's not how you roll either."

"No, not typically," Jim said with a weary grin, like something else was on his mind, "I'd have to say, lately, I'm doing a lot of things I don't normally do. But," he sighed, "I stayed because I was kinda hoping you had considered my offer about joining Starfleet." McCoy stared at him hard.

"I've been unconscious for more than twelve hours. I haven't had time to _think_ about anything."

"Well, then, I guess you better get to thinking about it right now," came a serious, loud, and crossed voice. Both Jim and McCoy looked up instantly to the door. In walked Captain Christopher Pike and in his hands he held a data device, much like what Jim had seen back on Starbase 1. Jim smiled, McCoy scowled. The doctor knew very well who that particular military recruiter was. The Captain began flipping through the device as he walked towards the bed. "Doctor Leonard Horatio McCoy," he read off the device, "born and raised in backwoods of Georgia, attended and graduated from the University of Mississippi, and currently wanted for arrest in three major states for mal-practice."

McCoy folded his arms and sneered. "Mal-practice, my ass!" He looked pointedly at Jim. "You save a man's life without your damn doctorate on you and suddenly you're a bad doctor. Fucking assholes. This is exactly why nobody helps anybody anymore!"

"I helped _you_." Jim interjected, causing the doctor to stop and stare at him. The boy had a point, but obviously the Captain had other reasons as to why he was listing all this shit. He glared daggers into him.

"Fine! You gonna arrest me now? Is that what this is all about? Lead me into false security, nurse me back to health, just to ship me off to some godforsaken prison?"

"No, Dr. McCoy, I've come with a proposition." Pike replied smoothly, and took up a side by his bed, equally glaring down at him.

"I'm listening."

"Word is that you're pretty good with your hands, Doctor."

"Tell that to my ex-wife." Leonard bit off sarcastically.

The Captain ignored it. "The UOM actually stated that you were top of your class and many idolized your efforts and accomplishments in Human and alien physiology."

"And?" That remark made Pike stop. This was the kind of attitude he dealt with daily, and he didn't need to take it from a loud mouth, washed-up excuse for a doctor. He sighed, like the action would take away his anger and replaced it with patience.

"And," Pike began after a moment, "Starfleet could use a man like you. You're exceptional in your skills and knowledge. A long voyage mission could benefit greatly from you." McCoy shook his head.

"Look, I already told Jim that I don't like space and hearing it from you ain't gonna make me change my damn mind!"

"Oh?" Pike questioned with a single raised brow. "Then how about I make the prospect a little more appealing to you? Enlist in Starfleet and I'll personally see to it that your arrest warrant is obliterated from your record; don't enlist and I'll arrest you right here. It's your choice, Doctor." When Jim insisted that they bring the drunken doctor along, he hadn't known anything about the guy's life or arrest. He felt a slight pit of anger that he didn't question Pike's sudden cooperation to take him along, but the other side of that made him feel a little surprised. It appeared Captain Pike was not a push over and Jim could respect that about him. Oh the other hand, Jim felt a strange connection to the Human doctor and hadn't meant to cause him trouble. He felt responsible.

"Captain," Jim broken in, feeling that what he was about to do would have been the same thing his uncle would have done for him, "Dr. McCoy has been through a lot and maybe this isn't the best time to give him such drastic choices. Perhaps you should give him some time to think about it? Like he said, he's been unconscious for over twelve hours." A reply didn't come quickly. The Captain simply looked between them and nodded as though he was conceding to some form of logic in his mind. After a few moments, he gave his response.

"Alright, Jim. I'll give him twenty-four hours to think about it."

"Thank you, Sir."

"But that doesn't mean I've given _you_ twenty-four hours to tend him in Medical." Pike warned with an easy smile, thinking how much concern this boy had shown since they met three days ago. "Get your ass to the registry office as soon as you can. You've only got until noon to complete the enlisting." Jim smiled.

"Aye, Sir." And with that, he left, leaving Jim and the doctor alone. The door shut with a heavy _thunk_.

"You didn't have to do that." The doctor said at length, catching Jim's attention. McCoy had meant it too. He'd just met this guy and already he was beginning to be a burden to him. The kid didn't need this, but Jim thought differently. Though Leonard seemed like an angry guy, Jim swore he could see an underlying hurt creature inside him. He reminded Jim of when he was a little kid, back in his tantrum days, when really he hadn't been angry at all, just overly worried he'd fucked something up again.

"I know," Jim answered after many moments. He didn't understand why he did it, but Jim felt the need to just let McCoy know he was there, so he touched his arm and squeezed lightly. "But I also didn't have to save you from those assholes back in Riverside." McCoy gave a half smile, half laugh.

"Okay, kid, you win. Whaddya want as a prize?" The phrase threw Jim in a loop. He hadn't expected such a response, but found it oddly entertaining. It was hard to hide it from himself, but Jim had to admit that he liked this Human. He was about as friendly as a wet cat, but something about it seemed so genuine. Growing up, the only friends Jim had were the crew of the _Narada_, and most of them were just like his father, angry, resentful, and just as unpleasant. His uncle had been his only real friend, so friendship was a new curiosity for him. Looking at the doctor, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be a Human's companion. Maybe it would be interesting, at least until he graduated. The plan didn't say he'd _need_ friends, but maybe if he pushed the doctor on to his side much like he had done with Pike, the guy could prove more useful than just to dilute his need of companionship. It's not like forming a bond with a Human would jeopardize his plans, right?

"Have breakfast with me?" Jim offered off-handedly, shrugging like it was nothing. The doctor gave a loud, over-dramatic sigh.

"Sure, kid." He answered in a breath, like he couldn't believe he was accepting it. "It's not like I have anything else—well, unless you wanna count my good health and strong bones." It was McCoy's turn to say 'bones' like a silent joke, and Jim caught it too, both of them giving smiles and laughing silently to themselves.

"Alright, _Bones_," Jim joked, "it's a date then."

...

A/N: And now we've met both Uhura and Bones. I wonder how this will all play out in the end? It's not like Jim liking Humans is gonna affect his judgment or anything, right? Nah! He's a strong Romulan! He doesn't need friends! Screw you Federation scum and your idealistic approaches to civility and friendship! Romulus doesn't need YOU!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Spock is gonna make an appearance (finally)! Yay!

...

The moment Jim entered into Starfleet Academy, he had to remember that he was from the future, so the data he had studied on the academy had been from the future, therefore meaning he was looking at its past and shouldn't have been surprised to see its downgraded appearance. However, he couldn't help but miss the fully automated mechanics of the _Narada_ when he noticed that Starfleet was still in the hybrid stages of development. Doors needed key access codes instead of instantly scanning the person for their data; the strange things everyone was carrying around were this time period's dataPADDs and quite larger than he remembered his to be; access terminals required fingerprint log-ins instead of voice-over command; and what was worse, not a single replicator knew a single damn Romulan dish! What was this? The Stone Age?

But downgraded technologies aside, what really surprised Jim was the amount of Humans attending the academy—in particular, the amount of _females_. Here and there were peppered alien species, but over all, the school was prominently Human but equal in their male to female ratio. It's not like Jim was counting or anything, it was just for the sake of study that he knew in his 200 peer class that there were ninety-two females. And the females didn't seem to mind his lingering count either with their fluttering eyelashes and flirty smiles.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why the females were so damn interested in Jim, McCoy thought to himself as he watched Jim wink and wave to passing female cadets. In six months he'd quickly realized what kind of person Jim was, even more so since the blonde idiot had begged for them to be roommates because he didn't know anyone else (and Starfleet wouldn't let him room with a girl). McCoy had reluctantly accepted, since he too didn't really know anybody, but the very essence of Jim Kirk was getting to him. The kid was cute, sort of, and appeared to have good intentions in everything he was doing, but there was no denying the fact that Jim could be an egotistical son of a bitch behind his charming smile.

At first, when the stories of Jim's past flit around the academy, it was cute to see Kirk blush and modestly tell everyone he was no hero and could never amount to his father's worth—but then, as the rubber-neckers and rumour enthusiasts began to corner Jim for more information (particularly the female cadets) with vigor, Jim's attitude changed from modest to a little cocky. McCoy often ignored it and simply rolled his eyes when another woman would come to their dorm asking to speak with Jim about it, and turned the other cheek when it was obvious his roommate had managed to bed more women in six months than McCoy had in entire life, but it was getting old. He'd grown fond of Jim, and this new promiscuous way of life needed to end now before it had a chance to tarnish Kirk's career.

They were walking to their next classes. Jim was waving to more passing girls when the doctor grasped Jim tightly around his upper arm and forced him behind a staircase, plastering his back to the wall.

Jim was caught off-guard by the motion, but when McCoy held him briskly to the surface with such Human might, Jim found he had to blink away the strange arousal it stirred inside him.

"Jim!" McCoy began, "Must you wave, wink, and undress every woman you see with your eyes?" Jim smiled and patted his shoulder, now knowing what caused the powerful behaviour.

"Aw, Bones. No need to get jealous." McCoy grumbled at him, releasing his body but staying in close whisper range.

"I told you to stop calling me that, and no, I'm not jealous. But if you keep this up, you're going to end up flirting with the wrong person and getting yourself in trouble. Starfleet grades you on performance and potential, not how many notches are in your bedpost!" Jim paused briefly to consider what the hell 'notches in a bedpost' had to do with anything, then he remembered it was a terran phrase for a person who had sex with a lot of people. How funny since Jim hadn't been having sex at all, but since his roommate only saw him go into his room with the girls, he could see where Bones would get that idea. He decided to correct his assumption.

"I'll have you know that I have no 'notches' in my bedpost. Thank you very much." Bones eyed him with a look that called bullshit. "Seriously." Jim tried again. "The girls and I have just been talking." Jim shrugged and gave a smug smile. "I'm considered a 'romantic' by them. Women are not creatures to be handled with the severity of uncontrolled lust, my friend, but the gentleness of a strong man who will protect them and grace them with the utmost quality of love."

Bones stared at him with scrutiny. "So the girls leave naked _because_…?" Jim smothered a hard laugh. Of course McCoy wouldn't understand the touch sensitive qualities of Romulan romance.

"It's something I learned while being a slave." Jim lied smoothly. "Instead of sex, especially if you're not ready, the consenting partner removes their clothes and allows you to touch them in intricate, ancient patterns. The touching is supposed to soothe and relax the mind and body. It's more like a massage than anything." Jim had seen this on a secret data bank back on the _Narada_ when he was ten years old. Ayel had caught him and explained to him that what he had found was Romulan pornography and that this intricate touch massage was something one did when they didn't want to have sex but still wanted to stimulate their partner.

Then came the talk of the Nei'rrhs and the fire spiders: sex. As a child, Jim had his little mind blown by the complete adult ritual and was saddened that he couldn't explore it more, but Ayel had told him in time he'd find a suitable mate and when they were ready, Jim and his partner could share in the sacred embrace. This was why Jim wasn't having sex with all the females he came home with; he was saving it for someone special. The touch ritual was enough to stave off his Humanly curiosity and lust until then.

"Well, whatever it is, you'd better stop it. All it's going to take is to flirt with the wrong girl and _bam!_ Jim Kirk is sitting nicely in Medical after a round with said girl's ex-boyfriend." Jim offered a laugh.

"Man, Bones, you worry too much."

"Jim, I'm serious. And _stop calling me 'bones'!_" The blonde cadet ignored him and brushed his shoulder, heading off for his classes.

"Look, if it will make you feel any better, I've managed to find another hobby that will keep me away from the women." The young doctor began following after him. It was getting late, and they needed to get to class lest they wished to get chewed out again by Pike.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"You'll see." Jim teased.

Bones rolled his eyes. "This isn't going to be another one of your 'projects', is it? I'm still recuperating from your last one." Bones cringed at the memory of the exploding replicator; Jim laughed. Hard.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault that thing didn't know what real food was."

"It did know real food." McCoy countered. "I have no idea what they hell dishes you were trying to make, but a burger and coffee sounded wonderful until you broke the damn thing! Now all that comes out is this grey mush shit and the occasional explosion."

"I'll fix it again." Jim promised, a turn coming up where they would have to go their separate ways. Bones pointed a hard finger at the young blonde.

"No. You stay the hell away from it, you tinkering nazi. I want southern grilled chicken for dinner tonight and I'll have a professional handle it, thank you." Kirk grimaced and gave a look of disgust.

"Okay, fine. You enjoy your fecal-encrusted bird breast." They parted at the corner as if on cue, going in opposite directions. "See you, Bones!" He called to him with a small wave. The doctor gave a distant grumble. Why did Jim enjoy annoying him so much? And why did McCoy enjoy it?

"Stop calling me that!" Tiny chuckles faded off in Jim's direction as both went to their classrooms.

…

Six months. Jim had attended Starfleet Academy for six months and heard nothing on the whereabouts of a certain Vulcan. He heard the typical rumours and knew the guy was mainly in the science department, but as for schedules and specific information, he turned up short. Asking about the Vulcan only got him suspicious looks and Jim knew he couldn't chance the Federation finding out about his plan, so Jim decided to occupy his time by studying the academy itself. This was what was distracting him from his bouts with the females, though he was certain to make time for them on his lunch break.

Since he was from the future and had been living on a future mining ship since his birth, it was easy to figure out how the academy operated. From their systems, to data banks, to the specific engineering that went into each door latch, Jim decided to study it all for his benefit. It wasn't that it was necessary, but Jim had learned well from his father that if he was to take down an enemy, it was best to start by learning all you could about them. Jim's knowledge was restricted by what technical and informational data was on the _Narada_, but now _inside_ Starfleet Academy, he could use his futuristic awesomeness to hack his way into the systems and learn much more. And granted, with his abilities, it was going to be easy to do, but where was the fun in that?

Sure, Jim could have simply hacked the system and maybe found all the direct information about Spock he could, but there was still the chance of getting caught since he'd be breaching many security passes. The last thing he needed was another interrogation team trying to really figure out where he was from. So Jim decided since it was still early and he had plenty of time to catch the Vulcan and kill him off, he'd have some fun. And what better way to have fun locating a person than pulling the fire alarm?

Of course, it wasn't that easy, as the alarm systems had scanners and print guards which would tell who pulled it should it prove to be a false alarm. Jim, with his technical advancement on these fuckers by at least a hundred years, discovered the perfect way to make it go off without ever getting caught. It was as simple as hacking into the main data system (fire alarm security wasn't as tightly guarded as personnel security), finding the correct launch code, and setting a specific time for it to initiate. All of which he had done two weeks previous on a campus library terminal with the help of only one cup of tea. Now all he had to do was wait and let the Vulcan come to him.

Jim smiled to himself, barely listening to his instructor ramble on about the safety procedures of hand-to-hand combat. He was by the window, so the Human looked out to the soft green grass, white pathways, and beautiful earth scenery. How beautiful it was going to look when everyone crowded outside and trampled it with fear of a fire. Speaking of which, it was almost time, if the chronometre above the instructor was accurate. Leaning back, Jim waited, and waited, counting down the seconds in his mind playfully.

The clock struck the appropriately coordinated time. Jim smiled, waiting. Waiting. How odd. Shouldn't it have gone off by now? Jim turned his dataPADD to the time. The chronometre was accurate. Why hadn't it gone off yet?

Jim ignored his instructor, flipping through the preprogrammed data he had on his dataPADD. Everything looked accurate, and the time was not changed nor delayed. What had happened? He closed the application and forced himself to smile and to continue to listen to his instructor. He wouldn't be able to form a theory to its malfunction until after his classes, something Jim didn't want to wait for to end. But, he had already aroused suspicion with some of the admiralty with his playful take on his slave story, and since his history was nearly non-existent, there were times when he was being heavily watched by the superiors. He had to wait and figure out the problem discreetly.

Jim looked up at the chronometre and sighed.

That was many hours away, and should the malfunction alert the security, he may find himself under arrest before the day was over.

…

Jim had just left his last classroom and was discreetly heading for the library when McCoy came up behind him. Jim instinctively jumped when the doctor grasped his arm, but relaxed when the familiar scowl took the shape of someone he knew.

"Damn, Bones. I almost kicked your ass!" Bones ignored him and his use of the playful nickname, instead tugging Jim along in the opposite direction of the library.

"Cut the shit, kid, we gotta talk."

"Uh," Jim began, looking back the distancing library. "Actually, I have some work I need to research for. Can this wait?"

"No." Bones refused to stop and tugged a reluctant Jim all the way back to their hiding spot behind the stairs. Once again, Jim found his back meeting the unforgiving wall.

"Alright. Spill." The blonde cadet appeared confused, then his stance took on one that may have looked predatory.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't, Jim. I'm going to assume you haven't heard the rumour from the communications department yet?" Jim stared at him quizzically, not really knowing how to respond. McCoy decided to help him remember. "Nyota told me at lunch that one of her instructors found a virus in the academy computer main frame. It was apparent that the virus was supposed to set off the fire alarm. She mentioned that it was quickly dealt with, but they're currently in search for the hacker that placed the virus in the first place." Jim noticeably gulped. Bones peered into him. "You wouldn't _know_ anything about this, would you?" Shit. So he'd been caught after all. It looked like he'd underestimated the knowledge of this universe after all. Still, he wouldn't admit it. Even to Bones who was becoming a friend.

"I'm _deeply_ offended that you'd assume I'd have something to do with it." The doctor stared daggers into him, folding his arms and huffing.

"This coming from the guy who reprograms the replicators daily, tinkers with dataPADDs to make them do shit they ain't supposed to do, sabotaged last months hover-carrier display, _and_ frequently fucks with the instructors by making their door sensors open and close at random intervals to scare the shit out of them. And you want me to believe it wasn't _you_ who put a goddamn virus on a fire alarm shift?" Bones had him there. He did enjoy tinkering with mechanics and causing mayhem. And McCoy was often the one friend who stayed after the party to help clean up. He was only looking out for his well-being, Jim mused, and since he'd been caught doing something that _could_ get him kicked out of the academy, he could understand the strange Human's reactions. Jim smiled, it was a strange feeling to know this man he'd met only six months ago cared for him so deeply.

"Look," Bones began again, not waiting any longer for Jim to confirm or deny the virus. "all I want to know is why you keep flirting with admiralty? You do understand that if you get caught, you're outta here, right? Son of a hero or not, they'll kick your ass right out and you'll have nothing again! Pike's an asshole, but he's put a lot at stake for you. Are you really going to waste that?" Jim rolled his eyes, not in defiance, but just so he could look in a different direction.

"Jim." His friend called to him softly. "I understand you were in a slave trading ring, and I know that you must have wanted to rebel against your captors, but you're not apart of that anymore." He pulled Jim's eyes to look at him. "You're here, on earth, with your own kind and people who actually care about you. Don't rebel against us. We're not trying to hurt you like the Orions were." Jim replied with a smile, loving his friend's stupidity for reasoning, but damn wouldn't it have been a good one if it had been true.

"You think I'm rebelling because of my past?"

"You're gonna tell me you're not?"

Jim shrugged sluggishly. In a sense, McCoy was right, he _was_ sort of rebelling, because he could have taken the easy way and already gotten what he wanted, and there wasn't any real reason to draw it out elaborately. Sure, it was fun to fuck with these aliens and their technological disadvantages, but Jim knew in his heart that if his father were here, he'd beat him senseless for elongating his endeavours. Perhaps it was a form of rebellion. Jim went with that, deciding to use it to his benefit to get his new friend off his back.

He looked away, trying his best to look caught and ashamed. "Maybe you're right." Jim said in a sigh. "I was a fuck-up on that ship, might as well be a fuck-up on my long-lost home planet too." That had the desired effect, Bones releasing him gently and looking a tad guilty.

"Now, wait just a second, Jim. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, no," Jim argued, "you're right. Maybe I am rebelling because it's so hard to find people to trust and trust me in return." Lies. All of it. Jim knew he should never be trusted, but this Federation Human knew nothing of that. His doctor friend took more of the bait.

"It's not that." Bones began. "I mean, _I_ trust you and all, but… Damnit! I don't have the slightest idea why I worry so much over you! I guess…" Jim perked up at that.

"You guess…?" Jim urged, letting the Human dig himself deeper.

Bones twirled away and folded in his arms. "I guess I just don't want you to end up like me—or where I was going. You have a lot of potential, and it'd be a damn cryin' shame to see you on the other side of prison bars just because no one understands your situation." Jim smiled. Though none of it was true, the fact that this Human obviously cared for him brought a tendril of happiness into his heart. Jim knew he couldn't smother it for long, but decided he needed to end this now and get to the library before the admiralty found his fingerprints. To hopefully end this on a good note, Jim stepped forward and placed his hands gently on McCoy's shoulders, squeezing him like he had done so many times before to show he was there, then awkwardly hugging him from behind. Bones sagged into it.

"It means a lot to me, Bones." Jim whispered.

"Yeah, well, me too." His friend grumbled.

"But," Jim said with new spirit, turning the doctor around in his grasp, "listen: I promise to keep myself out of trouble if you promise to trust me. You do trust me, don't you?" Bones rolled his eyes. "Come on, Bones! You trust me, right?"

His friend rolled his eyes again and gave another puff of air. "Yes, yes, I trust you." That was the poor Human doctor's mistake.

"Good. Then I have some naughty-naughty to clean up and I'll meet you back at the dorm, sound good?" Jim began off again in the direction of the library. Bones caught up with him.

"Jim," they stopped in the hall, the people moving about being less now that most were where they needed to be at this hour. "Do you need any help?" Jim smiled again. This Human, though a simple pawn in his own plan, never ceased to brighten his heart. It was going to be such a shame when Jim knew he'd have to betray him.

"Nah. It's just some simple coding. Thanks, though." And with that, they parted ways, both men smiling at one another with a smile that Jim didn't know he'd meant. This feeling in his stomach… was it the beginnings of respect and love?—or indigestion from having to eat native food? Jim didn't know and didn't bother to think any more on it. His top priority was to find out what this instructor had done to his plans and to make sure his trail was completely clean. The last thing he needed was to prove McCoy's fears right by ending up behind Starfleet Academy prison bars.

…

The library terminal was completely clean. There was no trace evidence he'd even used the terminal or had placed any data into it. Jim knew he was free and wouldn't be caught. But then, curiosity ate at him. His plan had been nearly flawless and the knowledge he used was far advanced than what these past-assholes could figure out. So that left one question: how had he been apprehended?

Staying in the library alone would have roused suspicion, so instead of accessing the terminal directly, Jim bid the librarian goodnight and walked himself down the halls to a study room. He entered it quickly and was thankful no one else was in the room at that moment. All around him sat empty chairs perfectly positioned like military fashion people would set them. Neatly, orderly. It was funny to him to think what he was about to do wasn't quite as orderly as these chairs.

Jim locked the room, initiating the 'in study' light above the door. After being at the academy for six months, Jim knew that it wouldn't be strange to see cadets studying late into the night, in fact, he knew he was lucky to be in a silenced room since he knew the other rooms would be taken by at least two studying peers. This way, Jim was hiding in plain sight and could do his work peacefully without interruption or suspicion.

Using a scattering code, Jim turned on his dataPADD and began his work, infiltrating the library terminals by proxy and viewing his previous viral work. The data streamed across his line of vision, filling his senses with accomplishment, but also envy. It would have taken a very intelligent person to intersect his simplistic virus and Jim deeply wished to know who had done it. As more data filled the screen, the intricate pathways this mysterious person had taken to dislodge his plan came into full view. Yes, this was a very intelligent person indeed—or maybe Jim wasn't play hard enough.

Looking over the remainder of the data, Jim nodded in agreement with himself. Yes, he needed to pump up the volume because his virus had been stopped by mere child's play. A simple variable in the code that was replaced with an infinite loop. This meant instead of signaling the fire alarm, the person responsible had diverted his code to the automatic door beside the main fire system. Jim laughed. That meant somewhere in the academy a door was opening and closing of its own accord. He was sure someone had stopped it by now, but the very idea!

The cadet sat back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief to have been stopped so easily. Deducing his facts, the only way this person could have caught him in time was if he had forgotten to silence a certain alarm within the data main frame. He would correct this in the future and for his next bout to fuck with the academy, he'd be sure not to make the same mistake again. With steady fingers, Jim began again, recoding his virus to initiate again for the following week. Only temporary did the notion that he was supposed to be looking for a certain Vulcan leave his thoughts.

…

Captain Pike looked over the shoulder of a rigid form with a particular black cap of hair and distinctly pointed ears. Pike was smiling, the instructor in front of him was not. Both stared down at the private access terminal as the virus data flooded the fields.

"Whoever did it knows their shit." Pike said.

The other raised a brow and then let it settle. "Indeed, Captain. The individual responsible is quite versed in technological academics. Never before has someone accessed the academy main frame without setting off all the security alarms."

Pike gave a knowing grin, like he'd done it several times for the man he was with. "Do I hear a slight bit of irritation in your voice, Mr. Spock?" The instructor swiveled in his chair to look up at the standing man. His face was neutral, stoic, definitely not amused.

"Irritation?" He asked. "Oh, yes," he said like he just remembered something, "one of your Human emotions that expresses annoyance, anger, or impatience. No, Captain, I am not familiar with this emotion." As if on cue, Mr. Spock's terminal began a low beeping alarm sound. The young Vulcan turned back to his data and looked it over promptly. Captain Pike had apparently done the same.

"Looks like our mysterious hacker is at it again." Pike nearly laughed. Spock ignored him, studying the data as it was fed to him to discover exactly what this stranger was trying to do. The Vulcan's fingers fell briskly over the terminal keys as he tried to stop the data, but nothing proved to be in his favour.

Spock sat back in his seat, internally dumbfounded by the persistence of this hacker to get to the fire alarm codes. It didn't make sense. For what purpose did this being wish to access and sound the fire alarm? "Are you sure you don't know what irritation is?" Pike teased, not brothering to hide his amusement at his friend's neutral annoyance. The Vulcan didn't look at him, but offered what to others may have looked like a sigh.

"This person's motives escape me. I cannot fathom a logical reason why they would use such astounding knowledge to try and sound the academy fire alarm. Surely, a person with these capabilities would utilize their talent for more legal means." Pike slapped his hand on Mr. Spock's chair back and rocked him a bit. He was sure not to touch the Vulcan, however.

"Then we know our culprit is Human."

"Pardon, Captain?" Spock asked, hoping to get an explanation.

"Illogical or lack thereof motives, insistence, technical skill being used illegally? Sounds like the old Human ego at work. I suspect this person just wants to see if they can do it."

Spock didn't scowl, but his features stiffened while he studied the incoming data. "Then I shall endeavour to prove that they can not."

Pike laughed, making Spock look up temporarily from the screen. "I'm jealous, Mr. Spock. All the problems and computational dilemmas I've given you—hell, even the _Kobayashi Maru_ programming assignment from Starfleet themselves—and the only thing that makes your eyes shine with passion is an intelligent hacker."

"My eyes do not contain the assorted reflective material behind my retinas to allow a shining appearance."

Pike peered at him amusingly. "It's another illogical Human expression."

"I understand." Spock told him off-handedly, and Pike had to admit to himself that he was a bit jealous that this mysterious hacker captivated the Vulcan's attention. Not to mean that Pike didn't appreciate Spock's dedication to his work, but the Captain had known the Vulcan for four years now and hadn't seem him this excited since entering the academy against his daddy's wishes.

The Captain supposed this hacker had picked a great time since it had seemed for a year now that Spock had been getting bored. Though he was unsure why someone would want to pull the fire alarm in the most convoluted way possible, he was grateful for the variety this would now give the paper-pushers of the academy and the sense of vulnerability the problems would make them perceive. If there was one thing this old academy needed, it was some action, and an egotistical hacker might just do the trick.

He stared back at the Vulcan sitting so perfectly at his terminal and let himself out. He had no reason to worry. Spock would handle whatever the situation was and deal the proper punishment. Pike only hoped that this would remain an isolated problem within admiralty and not spread to the cadets. Though it would be good for the soft-bellied admirals, interferences like these would probably reduce morale among the newly recruited. He made a mental note to discuss this with Barnett should the hacker problem persist.

Spock worked over the terminal quickly trying to counteract the hacker. He hadn't even noticed Captain Pike was gone until he looked up temporarily to judge his reactions and noticed he was alone in the dark office. It was logical that Pike had somewhere else to be and didn't stick around during this episode. Pike was obviously content with his abilities as a graduated student to handle the problem accordingly.

The speeds at which the soon-to-be virus rushed across his screen was phenomenal. The person was clearly still using the codes he had used before and was simply re-entering them while filling in the gaps he had made before—all gaps that Spock had caught previously.

He remembered earlier that day, while in private study with the exceptional linguist Cadet Uhura over a more dynamic version of Vulcan speech, his terminal began a barrage of noises to signal a security breach and the end of his session with the striking cadet. Mr. Spock certainly did not play favourites, but he saw no harm in allowing Cadet Uhura to observe while he intercepted the virus, rendering it safe. It had actually been Cadet Uhura's idea to divert the signal to the automatic doors instead of the fire alarm since the decoding would have taken longer than it would have taken for the alarm to sound. Once successfully diverted, he could take it apart and dislodge its foreign seeds. Very logical on both of their accounts.

But this time, it appeared the hacker had anticipated he would try to divert the code again and placed a lock on the variables. Mr. Spock tried to get around them, but found his efforts dwindling as time progressed. In a last attempt to at least stall the stranger, Spock initiated a data mainframe freeze that would last sixty seconds. This would give him a small window of time to try and locate where the signal was coming from without the interference of the coding.

Spock punched the keys. The data frozen instantly.

Using his computer skills, Spock immediately took up his personal dataPADD and unbeknownst to him, in quite the same way, used it was a proxy much like his hacker to try and locate the accused. He was ten seconds in when a small window prompted over his dataPADD.

_:Are you trying to locate me?_

The Vulcan stared at the typed text so quizzically written in the small prompt window. Spock decided it was logical to answer back since this could help him locate this person faster with a dominant connection.

_:State your personal identification._ Spock replied.

_:You _are_ trying to locate me!_ The text hesitated very Human like. _:Well, I hate to break this to you, but you are not going to find me with how much scrambling I've used._ So this person was using a scrambling code… Spock decided to use his data to locate any and all source of interference. His dataPADD froze.

_:I don't think so._ The prompt window shown. _:Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to allow my scrambling code to be traceable?_ Spock saw he could type back, the only function this hacker allowed him at the moment.

_:The window for error is always large when dealing with hacking individuals. I am looking for any mistakes you may make._

_:Like giving my personal identification?_ In that moment, the mainframe started back up again, but the data flow into his terminal was still frozen. Apparently, the hacker had stopped.

_:State your business for your actions._ Spock typed quickly.

_:State your business for _'your'_ actions._ The stranger replied.

_:My actions are solely to stop you from further completing your intended virus._

_:Well, I've got to admit, you've stopped me. I didn't think I'd be having a conversation with a computer tonight._ Spock paused and studied that sentence.

_:I am not a computer._

_:Yeah, and I'm not a hacker._

_:State your personal identification._ There was another pause.

_:You just don't give up, do you?_

_:The same could be said for you._ Spock's dataPADD unfroze for a brief moment, and with Spock's Vulcan reflexes under the assumed misstep of this fiend, Spock sent out a quick counter track virus that would make the connection between their devices light up in the mainframe. However, his device froze again and the virus was sent straight back to him.

_:That was a close one._ The hacker typed. _:lol, you almost got me!_

_:This is not a game._

_:You're just upset because you're not the one making the rules. _Spock didn't know what to reply to that. He hesitated and waited for any other openings. _:But, listen, as much as I'd love to hang around here all night and swap electrical currents, I've got shit to do. But, don't worry! Here's a nice parting gift for your databanks!_ After that sentence, a strange code was typed and his terminal screen and dataPADD screen began to fill with various letters, symbols and punctuations. His dataPADD was the first to go.

The small touch screen lit up brightly, displayed a green outlined circle with two eyes and a smiling mouth with what looked to be a tongue sticking out, then the screen sputtered, made whining noises and turned completely off. Spock stared at it with slight…dare he say it? Irritation.

Looking over, his terminal still looked to have time before the same virus could affect it. Thinking quickly, Spock flew to the controls and began feeding the data out via different connections to the secondary terminal in the office. By doing this, he would divert the virus and save the system from further abuse. He keyed in the proper codes, froze the system a few times, then finally counteracted the virus, bringing his terminal back to its original prompt.

A small window opened on the bottom of the screen. _:Wow! You must be a person since the hesitation and speed of diversion was so fast! I'm impressed!_

_:State your personal identification._ Spock typed back.

_:And now I don't believe that any more. Seriously, you need to work on your people skills._

Far across the academy, far from the position Spock was located, in a study room locked privately, Jim sat at the centre table with a large grin on his face. It was hard not to laugh, but this was seriously entertaining. Though he had anticipated he'd be caught again, being caught by a real person was something he hadn't expected. Since it was growing late, he figured the computers would have handled him if not at all. And the speed and knowledge this person used to counteract him! Whoever this person was, he was truly a match for Jim's tastes.

And he liked that.

_:If you will not state your personal identification, then you must have a pseudonym for your person?_ The stranger asked through the window. _:This is a common trait among Human troublemakers, as I have studied._

Jim read that sentence again and was now certain he really was talking with a person and not a computer. Computers asked questions, but typically didn't ask for anything like a pseudonym or were as persistent to discover viral data. When he had began, he hadn't gone in thinking he'd be uncovered quite like this, so he hadn't thought to give himself a fake name to go by. It wasn't like he was going to be leaving any marks around—but now that he thought about it…

If Jim stirred up enough behaviour for the science committee, he may be able to locate the enemy Vulcan within them because they'd be snooping around for the perpetrator. Ultimately, the Vulcan would come to him whether it be by the silliness of the fire alarm or the programming that led to its sounding. Jim saw it as a win-win situation and a great time killer as long as he played his game right.

Right now, even while he thought about it, the computers could be signaling that bastard Vulcan, bringing him closer to Jim's trap.

Jim eyes bounced around for some time trying to think of what to tell whoever or whatever it is. When he had stalled long enough, he pulled for the first name he saw which happened to be on the header of a random data entry in the coding.

_:Kobayashi Alternative._ Jim typed to the person. _:But you can just call me Kobayashi._

…

A/N – I'm sorry for the late update, but I got sidetracked for a while and hit a huge writer's block. I know where I want to go with this, but getting there is kinda difficult sometimes. XD I hope you look forward to more! How do you think Spock and Jim will handle this whole hacking business? Do you think they'll meet again? And Bones, do you think he'll be surprised or not when he finds out about Jim's new favourite hobby? Will he even find out? 8D


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I've gotten a comment or two that said this was similar to Lion King 2, which I wish I could say I got inspiration from, but that would have required me to have watched this movie and I've never seen it before. It's awesome to know great minds think alike, but after some research into this movie, I can see parallels, but since I haven't actually watched it, I have no idea how similar this story to that movie is. I'm a little disappointed that it's been done before, but I hope it isn't so similar that it turns you away. I'm sorry in advance! But anyway, here's the next chapter. I do hope you'll enjoy it!

…

_Kobayashi_.

It had been several weeks since Mr. Spock's last encounter with the profound hacker named Kobayashi Alternative. It was almost ironic in a way that this person would choose such a name since it was he who programmed and operated the cadet dreaded _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam. A curious, almost Human part of him thought this was what Humans referred to as tasting your own medicine, but the logical Vulcan part of him saw it merely as coincidence. There was no way for this Kobayashi to have known it was the _Kobayashi Maru_ operator Mr. Spock he had been chatting with, just as Spock couldn't determine the actual identity of Kobayashi. Logic left no room for destiny, so he simply concluded the name to be coincidence, even if Captain Pike didn't agree.

"The odds for such a confrontation have to incredibly low, Mr. Spock." Pike said as they filed away the Physics IX data print outs from Mr. Spock's previous lecture class.

"Indeed, Captain, as the odds for such an event was only zero-point-three-two percent. A truly remarkable coincidence." The Vulcan went to file a paper right at the moment Captain Pike was pulling his hand away from filing a different paper—they're hands briefly touched, causing Spock to withdraw his hand quickly while Pike blushed lightly and apologized. Both men looked away from one another temporarily, then began filing again as if the small occurrence hadn't happened at all.

"Are you sure it's coincidence?" Pike asked gently, going back to the topic at hand. "When it comes to the illogic of Human nature, sometimes your best friend can end up being the one that hurts you the most."

Spock thought on that momentarily. "You are suggesting that Kobayashi Alternative could be someone I know personally?"

The Captain nodded, then shook his head. "It's only a possibility, and Humans are known to mess with each other to get the other's attention. Who knows? Kobayashi could be someone who wants to get under your thick, cold Vulcan skin just to tell you that they like you." Spock paused in mid-trek to file away another set of papers. He looked down and then looked up at Captain Pike, but the Captain only smiled and took the stack from him to file it on a higher shelf.

"A curious suggestion." Spock nearly whispered. "However," Spock began again returning to the filing, "not logical. Kobayashi Alternative's tactics within his viral control are very different from what is legally taught here on earth."

Pike smiled amusingly. "You're saying his skills are foreign?"

Spock nodded. "Yes. Kobayashi Alternative cannot be any one I know personally since all whom I've associated does not know the technical skills required to commit his crimes. There for, Kobayashi Alternative must be someone whom learned this skill prior to attending Starfleet and that limits who this person could be to our newly recruited officers and transferred staff."

"Typically, I'd say that's awfully narrow-minded of you, Mr. Spock," Pike offered, "but knowing you, you've probably seen all the technical data of every staff and cadet and would know whom would have such capabilities."

Spock placed the last paper away neatly. "And no one currently attending has these capabilities that I, or Starfleet, is aware of. This means—"

"Someone lied on their entrance exam." Pike finished for him. Their eyes locked together as one. Both men studying the other carefully. "Looks like you're going to have your hands full should Kobayashi persist."

"Indeed."

…

"Jim! Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Quit your bitching and come on!" Jim tugged McCoy up the stairs, leading him up higher and higher through the academy. McCoy grumbled to himself about the dangers of climbing the stairs since they were in staff only territory. Starfleet officials were not kind to those cadets whom made it their business to wander around in restricted areas. However, Bones kept that to himself since Jim Kirk never seemed to care about rules. _Rebellious fucker…_

McCoy kept up the pace as fast as he could, hiding behind corners when Jim thought he heard somebody. Jim didn't stop leading him until they reached the nosebleed section of the academy. The doors in front of them read: ROOF ACCESS _STAFF ONLY_. Oh, they were going to be in such deep shit if they were caught.

As predicted, Jim pushed through the door unabashedly and motioned with his hand for the doctor to keep coming too. He sighed, giving in to Jim's curious games, and followed him out on to the rooftop.

It was a bright, beautiful afternoon. The sky was a deep blue, clouds scattered about like torn cotton, and the academy below was silent. The grass and pathways shown no cadets or staff walking about—and they wouldn't be since most were still in class. It had only been by the shear force of Jim's unexceptional will that McCoy agreed to play hooky for one hour.

"Alright, Jim. We're on the roof. Now what?" It didn't look like the blonde was listening to him since when he looked, Jim was leaning over the rooftop ledge and peering out and around at the scenery.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Jim asked in a distant voice.

"You brought me up here to gawk at scenery?" Okay, so it was true Kirk had been a slave trapped in space since his birth and wasn't accustomed to earth terrains, but seriously? He could have come here after hours and no one would have bat an eyelash or risk getting them into trouble.

"Yes and no." Jim finally replied after letting his eyes bounce around. McCoy watched him with a look in his eyes that told the doctor Jim was reflecting on something. He looked so helpless right then, so much that Bones had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. "Quickly," Jim told him, turning on his heels and grabbing Bones by his hands, "take out your PDP."

"I do hope you mean my dataPADD and nothing phallic." Jim laughed at his teasing and took his hands away.

"No!" He snickered. "Not at all! Just take it out; it's almost time."

"Almost time for what?"

"You'll see." Jim said with hints of mischievousness.

What could he do? McCoy grumbled again under his breath, saying how stupid this all was, then took his personal dataPADD from his pockets to display it for the both of them. "Okay, now what?" He asked.

Jim's smile blossomed larger as he rushed to the ledge of the rooftop again, McCoy followed, still holding out his dataPADD. "Jim, you're not making any sense—"

"Three, two, one—!" Jim counted out loud, throwing his arms up in an excited praise and shutting his eyes with his head thrown back on 'one'. McCoy was about to slap him for being ridiculous when his dataPADD made a horrible whirring noise.

Bones looked down at the device, his touch-screen went completely black, sputtered here and there, then up in the centre of the screen appeared a circular logo with a capital 'K' and 'A' in the middle hooked by the 'K's extending leg, making a strange, bright green logo. Then below the logo, words began to type themselves reading _Kobayashi Alternative_ when completed.

"What the hell?"

"And now it begins!" Jim cheered with an almost alien enthusiasm. The 'K' and 'A' logo disappeared to be replaced with an outlined green smiley face with its tongue sticking out. The image, though small, was actually very frightening. His dattaPADD then barked, whirred, and sizzled—popping and crackling as it was overloaded by something, causing McCoy to drop the device on to the ground as it flickered out of life.

"Jim!" McCoy shouted. "What the hell is going on?" Before Jim could answer him, a loud siren rang throughout the building, being the loudest where they were, blaring horribly over and over in a loop. Lights began flashing on and off, more sirens rang out. It only took a second longer for McCoy to realize it was the fire alarm.

Cadets and faculty began to pour out the building. Jim dropped low behind the ledge of the rooftop and peered over to gaze at the panicking crowds. Bones dropped beside him, not wanting to be seen, and both watched the people line up orderly away from the building. In the distance, Bones could hear the coming sirens of fire trucks.

Jim turned to him after another moment of watching with a fire behind his eyes of true passion. "Help me find the only Vulcan attending this godforsaken place!"

"What?" Bones shouted, clearly angry. "You pulled this stunt just to locate some instructor? Are you out of your mind?"

"Help me look." Jim ordered again, scanning over the crowds and using his finger as a guide to tell him which he's counted and which he hadn't.

"Jim!" Bones yelled to get over the siren, getting really close to his friend's ear so he could hear him. "Do you remember our talk a few weeks back about you _not_ getting into trouble? Well, this is a bit ass-backwards from that talk, _don't you think?_" Jim Kirk ignored him, still scanning the gathering crowds and mumbling to himself, but it was too low for McCoy to hear over the alarms. "You're not only going to get me kicked out of here, but yourself! Pike is gonna eat us alive! I'll go to _jail_ and you'll probably be shipped off to an asteroid camp!"

"Bones, relax." Jim said in between his scans. "We're not gonna get caught." McCoy rolled his eyes in frustration, rubbing the bridge of his nose when Jim startled him out of it with a loud profanity. "Damn, I don't see him." He looked at the distant clock tower some distance away. "And shit, we're already going to be late, come on," he said while standing and taking Bones' arm, "we got to get down there before someone notices we're missing."

"But, Jim!" The blonde tugged him on, but McCoy forced him to let his arm go. The reaction made Jim stop and look at him with bright, confused eyes. "You're really beginning to make me regret trusting you."

Jim paused, taken aback, but then smiled a strange smile Bones couldn't translate. "Smartest thing you've ever told me." Jim replied, but it was so low and the alarms were so loud, he wasn't sure if that's what he heard or not. Taking his arm again, Jim led him back down through the academy to join the others.

…

Mr. Spock was one of the last to leave the building, Pike leading him out with worry and haste. In the Vulcan's hands was a print out of something he had managed to get before his entire terminal had shut down. On the paper was the image displayed before the smiley face was shown again. The circular logo with the 'K' and 'A' with 'Kobayashi Alternative' written below it. He was not angry, that was illogical, but he was intrigued by this mysterious Kobayashi.

Spock had been working day and night to prevent the hacker from getting into the data mainframe and was quite displeased with himself that Kobayashi had still managed to slip by him. This person was truly a worthy adversary. But what set his internal reactions the most was that his terminal had been the only one with enough time to capture the image and print it out for a tangible record. Everyone else's computers were rendered dysfunctional, so that meant Kobayashi had _purposely_ left his machine time to gather the image. Kobayashi wanted him to have it. Nothing made that clearer than when his dataPADD chirped in his pocket.

They were outside now, fire trucks coming and lining the area. Spock moved towards the back and stood with the other staff, Pike beside him and looking at him curiously when he removed his device. On a small window prompt where the words:

_:It took me longer than I thought it would, but your skills are very impressive! Lol! I hope you enjoy the parting gift—oh, and, don't forget to show everybody._ After that was an emoticon with the same smile the green smiley had shown before blowing the terminals' systems. A timer also counted beside it showing fifteen seconds left. Spock studied it with hard, unmoving eyes as the counter went down. Once it reached zero, the screen fizzled and sputtered much like it had done last time, the same logo and smiley face shown, and then blackout. Spock didn't need to be a science major to know when he returned the system to normal all data of his encounter with Kobayashi Alternative would be lost.

"Looks like Kobayashi won this round." Pike grimly smiled, remembering his own computer terminal flicker out and making him loose precious data. Spock nodded, looking back at the academy and all the cadets lined outside it. "I'll call for a conference meeting in an hour. Academy wide. Do you want to head it, Mr. Spock?"

Spock visibly sighed, looking once again back at the print out. The bright green logo was a mockery of all his hard work and achievements while being enlisted in Starfleet. Who was Kobayashi? "No, Captain." The Vulcan replied evenly. "I will bring my terminal and dataPADD back online and try to recover as much as I can on Kobayashi Alternative. I will also make copies of his virus for study. My gratitude for your consideration." Pike knew that was Vulcan for 'find someone else to do it', but though he'd heard Spock say that to him before, it was infuriating that Spock was still captivated by Kobayashi enough to want to spend his time recovering data on him instead of leading the recruited cadets into a sense of security. Since Spock knew the most about Kobayashi so far, he really should be the one to tell everyone the culprit would be found.

Pike shook his head, looking up at the bright blue afternoon sky and squinting into the direction of the sun. Well, he knew the second most data and he could lead the meeting in Spock's place. He just hoped deep down that the passion he could see light in his Vulcan friend was merely determination for the fiend and not growing into something more.

…

Jim eyed the bottle in his hands, shaking around the tiny pills inside. Briefly, looking at them, it was these pills and the small necklace about his throat that remained as the only connection to his family. Today's events had been successful, and though Jim knew his uncle would have been proud of his achievement, somehow he also knew his father would be asking why he bothered at all. He could never prove his worth enough for that Romulan. And it sickened Jim, almost making him forget to take his daily dose of DNA pills.

"Hurry up!" Bones called from outside the bathroom. "We're gonna be late with how long it takes you to get ready!"

"Just a minute!" Jim called back, swallowing down two small pills and making sure his necklace hid below the red shirt of his uniform. He zipped up the cadet jacket quickly, threw a bit of water through his hair, and exited. Bones was standing by the door, arms folded and dressed perfectly in uniform. "I'm ready." Jim smiled.

"'Bout damn time." And together they left, a growing worry in McCoy's stomach over what he assumed this impromptu meeting would be about, and Jim's smile beaming at the knowledge that shit was about to get real. Jim had hoped the person he'd been chatting with got the message to alert his symbol and name to the admirals, and he equally hoped the science department was already on it. While they made their way to the assembly hall, Jim looked around inquisitively for any signs of a pointed eared instructor among them.

He was disappointed not to see him.

The assembly hall was large enough to seat and house every cadet currently recruited. All of them sat perfectly like chocolates in a box, barely whispering among each other about what had happened two hours ago. As Jim and McCoy found their seats, the blonde cadet muffled his snickers at the rumours he was now causing among them. Some of these cadets he'd really frightened! Oh, how the Federation and their officers were so pussy-whipped.

It was another twenty minutes before everyone had arrived and was seated. In front of them, four admirals sat facing them with Captain Pike in the centre, looking amused, angry, and uncomfortable.

Captain Pike stood up and checked to make sure his mic-clip was on before he asked for everyone to settle down. "Your attention, please." Pike began, eyeing the crowd and not at all surprised that they quieted instantly. "This hearing has been called in regards to the events which took place one hour and forty-six minutes ago." He pressed a button on his desk and the wall behind him and the admirals lit up beautifully white before showing an image that made Jim internally smile. It was his logo, and beside it, the green outline smiley face he'd programmed with simple coding. Though, he was the only one that assumed joy from its presence, the others around him looked stern and a little frightened—except Bones who just looked plain worried, squeezing his seat armrest and giving Jim a sideways glance.

"The person who created these designs and the events that stalled our computers goes by the name _Kobayashi Alternative_. Though it may seem comedic to some, this person has proven to be a menace with malicious intent—hacking into our systems to cause terror and confusion.

"We assembled you all here because we have discovered the culprit is among us, and we wanted this person to know we're hot on their trail. Using the data we've gathered via Kobayashi's own codes and records, we're now in pursuit. You are all safe and your data will be restored to your PDPs. If you have any information on Kobayashi Alternative, I ask you to step forward after this hearing, but, should you be caught assisting Kobayashi, you—along with the hacker—will be dishonourably discharged from Starfleet and handed over to the proper authorities." Bones clipped Jim's thigh, making him jump a little.

"What the hell was that for?" Jim whispered.

"I fucking hate you so much."

Pike continued for many minutes. "—and any information you may have, please report it to any staff as it comes. Our science department will be keeping tabs on personal data, so there is no worry in our security. Any questions?" Everyone was silent, the silence feeling heavy and uncertain. To know that he had caused so much confusion and terror among these officers made Jim mentally pat himself. These Federation dogs had no idea there was a flea among them. "Dismissed." Pike finally said and the cadets began standing and heading out to their dorms, classes, and other activities.

Jim stood up, Bones followed with a look of sickness across his features. Jim mouthed for him to relax, but the doctor didn't look like he would, treading behind him begrudgingly. The sickness didn't wear off until they made it back to their dormitory.

McCoy toppled over to their small couch once the door shut smoothly. "We're so fucked…"

"No we're not." Jim told him, taking up the vacant seat beside him.

"Yes, we _are_." Bones retorted sternly, a look of pure worry giving his appearance an older age. "How long do you think it's going to be before someone figures out I'm housing _Kobayashi Alternative?_ And that I helped him!"

"Pssh, you hardly helped." Jim said.

"I was with you at the scene of the crime!" McCoy wailed, falling into the couch.

"Bones, relax. No one's going to find out as long as you keep your mouth shut and I keep playing my game smoothly." That made McCoy start.

"Oh, no you don't! Come on, Jim! This is madness! Can't you go back to touching girls with your intricate romance thing again? Seriously, I don't give a fuck anymore! Have a touching _orgy!_ Just please, please don't continue this!" McCoy appeared to be in shear panic over the matter, but as intended, his new friend didn't understand the true reasoning for Jim's troublemaking. Jim found himself beginning to speak an explanation, but stopped himself mid-breath to apologize. He liked Bones, but not enough to admit his own deceit.

"I'm sorry," Jim told him solemnly, "but I can't do that. I _need_ to do this."

"Need?" McCoy echoed, "Why the hell would you _need_ to do this? Wait—" McCoy waved his finger at him, "is this about finding that Vulcan instructor again?" Jim smiled weakly; _Not quite a bingo, but you're very close…_ "Damnit, Jim! Most people ask around, even fucking _stalk_ them if they're crazy enough—but you—oh, you—you have to do it the most complicated and criminal way possible!" Jim took his shoulders and squeezed him much like before, making the doctor stiffen but relax marginally.

"Bones, Bones, Bones," he practically whispered, "you need to relax."

McCoy grumbled and rolled his eyes. "I _am_ relaxed." He lied to Jim. "Why, Jim?" He then demanded the blue-eyed cadet in front of him. "Why do this? Why are you so concerned about discreetly finding the only Vulcan on campus?"

Jim shrugged and stalled for time. He couldn't tell Bones the truth. "Do you trust me?" He asked instead.

"Jim." Bones warned.

"Do you trust me, yes or no?"

"Jim, this is ridiculous—"

"Bones, I need to know if you trust me or not." Bones heaved in his grip and sighed dramatically. Why? Why did Jim do this to him? And why did McCoy allow it? Yes, they were friends, and yes, maybe this kid had saved him from himself, but why did he feel such a strong need to protect him? To help him?

"I trust you." He admitted lowly, turning away. This made Jim give a small smile.

"Then that's all we need. Trust me that I know what I'm doing."

"But that's what I'm afraid of." Bones weakly smiled back, looking down at his short friend and how he was so fond of him. "Just… promise me that if you go off the deep end, you'll at least call me to your side to maybe bring back some of your sanity?"

Jim nodded warmly. He supposed this could have ended much worse. "I promise." Jim couldn't honestly tell if he meant that or not.

…

The hour was late, later than Mr. Spock typically stayed in his office. It wasn't uncommon for the Vulcan to be tied up in the science labs or working on his private projects, but this was abnormal even for him.

Captain Pike entered quietly, in his hands a tray of Vulcan fruits sliced just like how he knew Mr. Spock preferred them. Spock was sitting in front of his terminal, typing away at something that Pike couldn't exactly make out. He approached silently and sat the tray beside the working Vulcan. Spock looked up at him, as though he was noticing him for the first time.

"This is not necessary."

"You've been in here all night, Spock." Pike told him, "You should at least eat a little something if you're going to continue." Spock's only reply was to blink slowly between him and the tray of fruit.

"Thank you, Chris." He finally said, and that single word made Pike's heart jump. Spock hardly ever called him by his first name, so hearing it now was making his head delightfully buzz.

"It's my pleasure, Spock." He offered and knew that was his cue to exit. It pained him to see Spock secluded within the confines of his office and mind, but Pike also knew there was nothing he could do about it. The best thing that would come from it would be the discovery of the identity of Kobayashi; the worst thing would be Spock becoming obsessed with curiosity. No one knew Spock quite like Pike did, and nothing confirmed it better for himself than when he was about to initiate the door sensors, but stopped to the call of his name.

"Chris." Pike turned around slowly, not smiling but grateful for the informality. Spock was turned in his seat, looking at him with a slice of fruit in his delicate hands. "Please tell me the truth," Spock told him in a strange, almost emotional voice, "are you Kobayashi Alternative?" Pike didn't answer immediately, a little taken aback by the question.

"What logic has led you to speculate that?"

Spock placed the fruit back on the tray. "You are the only person I know who could learn these abilities in a fraction of the time. Your last mission to the neutral zone kept you away for eight months, giving you more than enough time to learn these talents and utilize them. Furthermore, when I come in contact with Kobayashi, coincidentally, I cannot reach you." He paused, looking away. Pike remained silent. "Also, your comments from this morning…" Pike stopped him there, raising his hand up.

Spock was serious. When did he ever joke? Though Pike was no Vulcan, he could see this Kobayashi business over the weeks had been affecting the Vulcan in his race to prevent the hacker. As much as Pike wanted to confirm he was Kobayashi, he couldn't lie to his friend. Disappointment was what friends did to each other now and then.

He stepped towards him, Spock standing from his seat hurriedly to meet his height. Pike looked into his eyes, which were studying him so closely and smiled. He noticed barely that Spock's breath hitched. "It would bring you much relief to know I am Kobayashi." Pike nearly whispered.

"Never before have I met a person whom could match me." Spock admitted, not exactly stating what was being matched. And it was true, in the weeks past, the coding and pre-written messages that delivered to his dataPADD had shown much personality within this person called Kobayashi. It was strange that a few prompts would intrigue him so… but Spock had to know!

Something made Spock raise his hand in the _ta'al_, the Vulcan salute, as he peered into Pike's deep brown eyes. Pike looked at it, and with his little Vulcan knowledge, knew what Spock wanted him to do. The hands of the Vulcan species were especially sensitive. Erogenous when touched correctly. He watched as Spock slid his eyes shut and waited for Pike's silent approval.

None ever came.

"Spock," Pike began with a soft voice. The Vulcan stirred and opened his eyes, for a moment looking entirely Human as he gazed back at his superior. "I'm… not Kobayashi Alternative." Spock let his hand drop back to his side. He looked away, as if ashamed, but Pike knew the stubborn Vulcan would never admit it. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need for an apology. It was… only a theory that needed facts."

"Spock,"

The Vulcan cut him off and turned away, taking his seat back at his terminal. "Please excuse me, Captain, but I have research to finish." Captain. There it was, back in place. Pike felt like a fool—oh, how he had wanted to reciprocate, but he knew it was wrong. He was not a match for this strong, handsome Vulcan—but whoever this Kobayashi was, they were. It'd been years since he'd seen Spock so enthusiastic, and how he'd dreamed he could have been the one to make that look on his face, but Pike couldn't do that to Spock. He trusted him. He admired him. They could never love. Pike understood that completely.

Captain Pike was going to leave. He'd already turned to make his exit. He knew where he was going to go and how he was going to get there, but his feet didn't move. He stood there, feeling foolish and envious of Kobayashi. It was many beats before he managed to think of what to do next.

Hot Human hands grasped the Vulcan's shoulders, swiveling him away from the terminal so he would be facing the Captain. Spock looked up from his seat, taken aback by the contact—then his eyes widened ever so slightly when warm, moist lips met his. There was no tongue, no hunger, but pressure across his sensitive Vulcan lips. It lasted five point two seconds, Pike pulling away almost breathless.

"We can still be friends, Commander." Pike said with the formality he hadn't considered, but used now in hopes to convey his feelings. He'd never had the heart to call Mr. Spock by his rank, considering it too formal.

Spock hesitated at the term, then offered a small nod. "Yes, Captain." He understood Pike's meaning. They still represented Starfleet and themselves through duty. Chris was still his best friend. "I understand."

Pike smiled and released him, stepping back. "But, you know, you've got some detective work to do, Mr. Spock. Kobayashi isn't going to identify _himself_." The Vulcan looked up at him with a small twinkle behind his eyes, what Pike had come to note as a Vulcan smile. Yeah, there were still friends.

Spock's tone appeared to return to normal. "I shall work efficiently and gather as much data as I can. I will report my findings to you and Admiral Barnett as conclusions and possible theories arise."

"Good work, Commander." Finally, his feet allowed him to leave. Pike made his way to the exit, but once again was stopped.

"Captain," Pike stopped, but didn't turn. "Thank you." The Captain smirked a little grimly, nodded, then exited. The office door swishing open and closed around him quickly.

It was the first time Spock understood the terran phrase 'I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave'. Captain Pike was a dear friend to Spock, he respected him, admired him, and knew neither he nor Pike loved each other. Spock was Vulcan, he could not love, but he was aware that his interest in Kobayashi Alternative had blurred his respect for Captain Pike in completely Human ways. He had _wanted_ Kobayashi to be Chris, simply because he _wanted_ a reason to act upon the illogical emotions this hacker had stirred inside him. It was a strange feeling to respect a criminal, and yet, Spock was pleased the hacker wasn't his superior.

Spock's duties were to identify the hacker and keep him from entering viral codes into the Starfleet data mainframe. If discovered, he was to place the accused under arrest and discharge him from service with permission of the admirals. Had this person been Pike, well, needless to say, it wouldn't have been very easy a thing to oblige. Now Spock could distance himself from this stranger and return to his normal life. Once discovered, Spock _would_ arrest them. Not only for the fact that this person was a criminal, but also, illogically and personally, because this unknown person had made him _feel_.

Little did Spock realize it was only the beginning.

…

_:Ping!_

Spock didn't stir.

_:Ping!_

The noise finally reached through, making the Vulcan awaken hazily. Looking over at the chronometre, it was 03:02 hours. When had he fallen asleep?

_:Ping!_ He looked around for the source of the noise and discovered the sound was emanating from his newly restored dataPADD. He pulled it up a little too quickly and selected the flashing prompt window.

_:State your personal identification._ Spock typed quickly.

_:Good morning to you too._ There was a pause and an added emoticon of a smile. _:What took you so long to respond?_

_:I was away from my terminal for a brief period._

_:My activity says you've been idle for an hour. I've been pinging you for a while. That has to be the longest you've been absent._

_:The same can be said for you. _Spock replied, pushing down the illogical urge to flush. _:We have not directly spoken in nearly a month._ Another pause.

_:Did you miss me? 8D_

_:Hardly._

_:Lol, You _did_ miss me! That's good to know. I mean, it would suck for you to spend all this time counteracting my data and not at least be a little frustrated we weren't chatting. _Spock sighed. This person was incorrigible. _:Tell me I frustrated you._ Kobayashi suddenly ordered.

_:I will neither confirm nor deny that emotion._

_:Great, then I'll do it for you. I frustrate you._

_:State your personal identification._

_:Kobayashi Alternative, frustrator of programming nerds! 8D_

_:Were you intending to convey sarcasm?_

_:Depends, did it work?_

_:'Frustrator' is not a word. _Pause. Spock could literally feel the tension through the connection.

_:Neither is this, smartass. 8D_ It happened quickly, the screen blipping and coughing until the symbol Spock was beginning to refer to as Kobayashi's symbol, lit up the screen at the top and ran numerous amounts of symbols, punctuations, and letters of varying languages up and down his dataPADD. Spock was prepared this time.

Hurriedly, Spock ran his fingers over the terminal keyboard and pulled his pre-programmed data to counter Kobayashi's next viral attempt. He'd been working on it for a little over six days in preparation for another attack on his systems. Now that Kobayashi had managed to sound the fire alarm, he was going to finish the coding and hopefully install it directly into the mainframe to prevent further access by the hacker. He would have to test it, of course, and since Kobayashi was attacking him now, this was the perfect time to see if his coding would prevent him.

The strange symbols flying over his dataPADD came to an abrupt halt, flashed, then blinked away returning his normal screen after his terminal had broken into access. Spock still lacked a direct line to Kobayashi, so he couldn't contact him to see if it had worked, so he waited until the hacker contacted him again. He didn't wait long.

_:Impressive._ Kobayashi said. _:But can you dance?_ Spock raised a brow curiously at the question that meant absolutely nothing about the situation.

Suddenly, his screen blipped again and a window opened to show two bright green wire-figures dancing. It appeared to be a Romulan Waltz, thoroughly confusing him. To add to the bizarre occurrence, the Romulan Waltz began to play over the speakers.

His terminal began beeping a loud siren. The dancing figures had been a distraction. Spock darted back to the keyboard and saw Kobayashi was trying to access and wipe his terminal data. The hacker must not have anticipated Spock had alarm systems that could not be seen, even through hacking. Using his new data code, he counteracted it in under two minutes.

The dancing and music on his dataPADD stopped.

_:Damn, you're getting good at this._

_:I have devised a code that will stop any and all further attempts you may make. It appears my test has been successful._

_:Aw, you made a counteract code stream just for me? I'm flattered._

Spock had had enough of this. _:What do you hope to gain from this encounter?_ A hesitation.

_:I just wanted to rub in the fact that I got past your previous security codes and that I could do it again. Are you going to try to stop me?_

_:I will do everything within my power to stop you from further abuse of our systems._

_:Just you? You're not going to send out your science department to locate and identify me? Does this mean I was lied to? Because, you know, I don't like it when people lie to me, and damn, I kinda liked Captain Pike._

That made Spock start. _:You were present at today's assembly?_

_:Yes._ Was the quick response. _:Were you?_

_:That information is not relevant._

_:Yeah, and I'm getting bored over here. Look, it's really cool that you've been on my tail and all that, but I gotta do something big to get Starfleet to send out the hounds, so, if you don't mind, I'm going to use you, okay?_ With that, Kobayashi left him no time to reply as his dataPADD once again filled with pop-up windows and horrible whirring noises. It flickered and darkened. This was becoming irritating.

Spock rinsed and repeated his methods before and stopped the virus just barely. The lack of activity monitored from Kobayashi's small link was enough to inform the Vulcan that the hacker hadn't anticipated this outcome. It was many moments of pure silence and stillness before either one of them were contacted.

Beside his bed, far away from Mr. Spock's office, McCoy slept quietly with his chest rising and falling in the dark. Somehow, McCoy's slumbering form brought Jim Kirk a sense of peace, but with the counter-attack from the stranger on the other end of his dataPADD, Jim was becoming most disquieted.

His virus was flawless, had been working smoothly for weeks and was the very virus that had prompted the fire alarm. To see his virus remedied with something not even his skills could locate at the moment was very annoying. But Jim kept his peace. Like before, this person was only proving they weren't as stupid as the rest of the Federation swine. He was flattered. He was impressed. He was angry.

Several more minutes went by and Jim did his best to override the new coding, but turned up short. Jim was vulnerable. Quickly, he pulled up the prompt window, the only one he allowed.

_:Alright, stranger, you've proven yourself to me. Do I get the honour of knowing your name this time?_ No more games. This had become serious.

_:My name, _the stranger paused in his typing, letting the type bar blink in and out several times. Was this person debating a pseudonym quite like he had? Jim waited patiently to find out.

What was typed next made him shout so loudly, McCoy woke up.

_:My name is Spock._

…

A/N – What a twist of events! Now that Jim knows, I wonder what he'll do with this knowledge?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – The reviews have simply been darling! Thank you so much to all who has taken the time to give me your opinions. I really appreciate it! It's so wonderful to read your predictions and points. Thank you so much! Now, this next chapter is going to jump a little. I know, I know, that's a little sad since more Jim and Spock chatting time would be lovely, but this story doesn't revolve around that too much, so this may be the last chapter at the academy. We still have Nero's plans to finish! 8D I hope you enjoy!

…

"_Your mother, Mandana, was the most beautiful woman."_

"_And Human, Father?" Jim asked quietly._

_Nero's brow furrowed, aligning the depressing Romulan mourning tattoos together in a way the tiny Human couldn't understand. "Yes; Human. Your mother was… Human."_

Stories. That was all Jim had ever heard about his mother, the woman he'd never known. Nero had told him she was Human, but had posed as a Romulan woman very well and had adapted to their society to be with Nero. Jim could never understand why his father always seemed tight-lipped about her Human qualities, instead focusing on her more Romulan aspects, but as he grew, the reason became simple. Mandana, his mother, was dead. Thinking of her probably brought him the equal pain Jim felt when thinking of the love he'd never received from Nero.

And it was Spock's fault.

Spock.

One Vulcan had managed to destroy his life, take away his mother, detach him from his father, and leave him in the unsure hands of his uncle. Ayel, oh how Jim missed him, but facts were facts. Because of Spock, Jim had never known love. He'd never known true family. Spock would pay.

Jim didn't delete the prompt, but instead saved it into his dataPADD. _:My name is Spock._ He read it over and over again, a fire burning through his body. This was what he had wanted, what he had been waiting for, and yet, this feeling was alien to him. Half-Romulan Jim Kirk always assumed when he had discovered Spock of Vulcan, he would be prepared for the flood of anger that would envelope him, but this was not the case. Reading the tiny standard letters that read out that bastard Vulcan's name made him feel something more. Anticipation. Anger. Anxiety. Anger. Fear. _Anger_.

_What will you do now?_ He asked himself. And Jim didn't know. His orders were to kill this Vulcan long before he could cause the damage he had done to his future. To save Romulus. But now presented with the Vulcan, Jim was uncharacteristically nervous. What if he failed?

His thoughts were banished the moment he felt his necklace swipe across his chest. With delicate fingers, he picked it up from under his shirt and studied the tiny Romulan symbol of strength. It was beautiful and hand molded from the steel of the _Narada_ itself by his uncle. Beautiful and intricate, yet small and meaningful.

Jim was Romulan.

Everything he'd been taught and trained rushed back into his mind like a flood of memories, renewing his strength and feeding the burning flames of his desires. There was plenty of time before he would graduate and initiate his father's plans. He didn't need to take him down yet, so why not cause Spock a little prolonged suffering quite the way he had done to him? Spock didn't know he was Kobayashi Alternative, let alone a single Romulan spy. Jim smiled and hid the necklace back underneath his shirt. His vengeance would be sweet. Spock would soon know the heat of his despair.

…

Now that Jim understood Spock had been the programmer he'd been speaking and messing with, the cadet didn't bother to stop there, but upped his precautions to set them against the intelligent Vulcan. It appeared that the Vulcan was just as Nero had described him: intelligent, cunning, and difficult. However, this was the Vulcan's past and he still had much to learn while Jim had already learned it all. No more games. He would go all out to make sure Spock understood this was more than just a hacker complicating his life—but a demon sent from hell to destroy all he held dear.

And Jim did so. Months went by with viral outbreaks, near-misses in identifying him, and numerous, _numerous_, occasions where Jim shut the academy down for at least a day to have the entire computer systems restored. Of course, Jim still needed to graduate on time, so he was sure not to wipe any data that would prevent him, but it was fun to make them think he'd deleted material when really he'd only moved it to a different terminal or put easy passwords on the data to fuck with them.

It was a grand time. Fun. And reading Spock's responses along the way only spurred him on to do more damage. He was causing more mayhem here than he was ever allowed on the _Narada_. It was liberating and felt so good. It was like he was finally free from the confines of his father and right back in the playful arms of Ayel. The only one who seemed to disagree with his fun was Bones, who (Jim had to give him credit) had kept his mouth shut and kept himself ignorant of the whole ordeal. Jim knew he'd help if he asked, but it was better this way.

Now with only six months left before graduation, the blonde had become very fond of McCoy and didn't want him to get in trouble because of him. And this was strange. He would deny it if his father or uncle ever found out, but McCoy was the first and only friend Jim had ever made. He cared about him and appreciated all that he did, and it was nice to know McCoy would have his back too.

Before his father's plans could take place, Jim made a note to himself to ask McCoy to join his side and in return would be granted his life and safety among the Romulans. With how close the two were, Jim had high hopes he'd accept. It would mean so much to him. But then, why did Jim have doubts?

"Bones?" Jim asked while the very doctor sat with him at lunch. McCoy had gotten used to the nickname by now and didn't appear as bothered by it as he had years before.

"What is it?"

Jim paused, picking at the vegetables on his plate but not really eating anything. "If I asked you to do me a _huge_ favour, would you do it? No questions asked?"

McCoy took a bite of a large sandwich, obviously used to Jim's odd requests. He swallowed and took a drink of water, playfully ignoring Jim until the very last moment. "Do you need me to help out our campus hacker?"

"No, it has nothing to do with Kobayashi," Jim whispered, looking around to make sure the new security cameras weren't pointed in their direction, "actually, it has everything to do with us. Our friendship." McCoy sat his sandwich down and peered at him curiously.

"I knew this day would come." Bones proclaimed in a hushed tone. "I knew it. I've been waiting for it." Jim had no idea what he was talking about, but McCoy understood. It was only a matter of time, McCoy thought to himself, and here it was. He'd sat back and allowed Jim to do whatever he goddamn pleased, allowed this whole Kobayashi Alternative shit to go on while he turned a blind eye and gave Jim alibis. This was it, and McCoy wasn't ready for it though he'd ran the scenario through his head several times.

"Bones, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, sure you don't. But, listen here, Jim, I like you and I deeply care about you, but I'm just not interested." Jim looked up at him with confused blue eyes. McCoy decided to elaborate. "I'm not ready to test the limits of our friendship." Still nothing on Jim's end. "By… you know… experimenting." Jim still studied him but this time with a blank face Bones had become accustomed to.

"I don't know what this has to do with experiments… I was only hoping you would have my back if I ever called for you in a desperate situation." That gave McCoy a start, now it was his turn to look confused.

"So you weren't about to ask me if I would be interested in taking our friendship a step further?" Jim had to think on that for a second and when the numbers collided, he promptly stood up and blushed so deeply red he was sure he was making a scene.

"Oh, for the love that is all sacred and holy, I didn't mean that! I mean, I like you too, but… oh…" Jim turned his face away, "now you put that image in my head and—! Damn, Bones!" Bones stood up to meet his height.

"Well, with what you were saying and what you've been doing, it was the only logical conclusion I was led to!"

"That we were gonna become _lovers_!" Jim asked in disbelief. Bones only stared at him, caught with the words in his throat. Jim stopped him before he could reply. "No, no, I like you Bones, truly I do, but I would never do that to our friendship. I mean, unless you wanted to, but I think I speak for the both of us when I say I don't think so." McCoy gave a nod. He loved Jim, but not like that. "Good, then I'm glad we got that out of the way." Jim sat back down, McCoy going back into his seat, both trying to ignore the small amount of onlookers they'd gathered. "Now, without going into the romantic nature or lack thereof in our friendship, answer my question. Would you?"

McCoy sighed, pushing his food away now that he wasn't hungry after that awkward scene. "I care about you." Was all he said. Jim shook his head.

"That isn't good enough. I need to know you'd be there for me even if I didn't tell you why you needed to be there."

"Jim,"

"What will it be, Bones?"

"Jim," McCoy tried again this time a little more sternly, "the entire time I've known you, all you've done is ask if I trust you and if I'll be there for you. Haven't I proven that to you?"

"Hearing you say it provides me with emotional security."

"But haven't I?" McCoy told him almost frustrated. "Hell! I was even prepared to help walk you through a speech about why we shouldn't become lovers if our conversation led that way simply because I didn't want to end up hurting you! That's how much I care about you! What further proof do you need?" A hand suddenly touched his and cupped it gently on the table. McCoy looked to it and followed the delicate hands up to Jim's smiling face.

"Bones," Jim began with a tone he'd never heard before, "soon I'm going to ask you to do something for me of great importance. I'm going to need you to be with me on this. I can't tell you what it is, but I will tell you that your trust and friendship are crucial. You're my best friend, my only real friend since I fell to this planet, and I'm going to need you." McCoy tried not to blush, but it was for naught. He knew he was.

"How long until you ask me?" He asked to take the centre of attention away from his hot face.

"It'll probably be sometime before or after we graduate." Bones looked away from him. Yes, Jim was probably going to ask him to sign on to the same starship with him or something. Pull strings, beg people to let them stay together. Their fields would no doubt separate them once graduated. McCoy had been given a new chance for his life by actually enlisting in Starfleet and had many plans that would let him come back and visit his daughter that he lost to his bitch ex-wife during the divorce. He couldn't tell Jim that he might not be able to go with him. He had a duty to his daughter, he owed her at least glimpses of her father. Could Jim really come before her if asked?

"You'll have to ask me then, Jim. I can't give you an answer right now." Jim nodded, like he had heard everything in McCoy's head.

"Okay. That's all I need to know. I know you won't let me down." Jim replied with a soft, friendly tone that struck McCoy straight into his heart. Oh, he hoped he wouldn't have to choose between his daughter and Jim. He prayed to some unknown deity it would be something else.

Jim's smile was warm and beautiful.

…

All Ayel could think about was Jim.

The shackles about his wrists and ankles gave him no pain or pleasure, simply because the Romulan Commander's thoughts were with Jim and how the Human would not endure this hell.

Nero's thoughts, he knew, were very different from his. He understood how angry his dear friend was and how close to completion their plans had been before the Klingons had captured them. With a little over six months left before the predicted time of Ambassador Spock, the entire _Narada_ crew was disappointed that their self-hells would not be coming to an end. Spock might get away _again_.

All, including Ayel, had been waiting for the moment of Spock's return through the black hole. The sooner he was destroyed, the sooner they could all begin anew. Take down the Federation, as per Nero's plans, with their ace in the hole that was Jim, and go back to Romulus as heroes. Welcomed. Ayel could meet the young parents of his future wife and let them know in the future, their daughter would marry a hero and give birth to kings. All would be as it should be… all except Jim.

The cell was dark, dirty, and smelled of decaying blood of numerous species—but mainly Human. He was alone, shackled to the floors dressed in nothing but prison garb: a torn oversized shirt with a rope belt and loose torn pants. No shoes. Ayel's feet bore blisters and cuts from the long year he and his fellow crew had served here as prisoners. Six months left until Spock would arrive and they were still captives to an inferior species. If Jim met their plans on time, neither he nor Nero would be there to save him when he betrayed the Federation.

Though Ayel knew Jim had their Romulan moral code and would sooner take death than give away to the Federation, a part of him screamed to find a way out and rescue his nephew before such a fate would be inevitable. His mind clouded with the image of Jim standing before a ruined Federation Headquarters and looking out into the stars for their call, but none ever coming. Then he envisioned Jim in prison for his betrayal; interrogation, survival, lies. Beating him, hurting him, making him cry the real Human blood that flowed through that lied boy's veins! Jim calling for him, shouting his name, crying, so many tears, so much blood—

NO!

The Romulan Commander steadied himself, the scenery of his cell coming back to him in pieces. There were still months left and Jim was safe. He wouldn't begin their strategies until the exact time they told him. He was alive and he was still safe within the confines of Starfleet's walls. How ironic, he thought.

Ayel dipped his head low, studying the same floor he'd seen for months, but the smell was still fresh. How he wished Jim was here with him, the strong boy holding him and telling him how much he loved him—and how Ayel would finally tell him back. They would embrace and together, as uncle and nephew, they would find a way out. Jim was always so smart and always finding the solutions no one ever thought about. But at the same time, he was thankful Jim had spent his time on earth and wasn't captured. The Klingons were cruel bastards, torturing them and questioning their ship, which Ayel didn't know if it was still in the captured dock or not.

Tears stung to the surface, but Ayel would not let them fall. He would sooner suffer Romulus destruction a thousand more times before allowing Jim to be captured by Klingons and suffering their same fate. Was it strange to hold so much affection for this Human child? Had Nero been right to say the boy was only a quick fix? Was Ayel wrong to love him?

His thoughts were interrupted when the Romulan Commander heard disruptor fire in the distance. It shook him to consciousness, making the memories of Jim stab his heart as he let them go to focus on the present.

Someone rushed to his prison door, but the thick mesh wouldn't allow him to see who was on the other side. He stiffened, ready for more Klingon abuse, when he heard his name.

"Ayel," this was voice was smooth, deep, and familiar. He turned to the direction of this person and watched eagerly as the prison door lifted open and revealed a hard, sweaty, dirty Romulan Captain.

Nero stood with pride, shackles gone and a disruptor clutched in his right hand. A smile played on his lips that Ayel met with equal fervor. "the wait is over."

…

Kobayashi Alternative had become an isolated cause. Though the unknown hacker still hadn't been identified since his discovery two years ago, Spock was pleased with himself to know Kobayashi was more interested in causing him trouble than the entire academy. There was no denying that Kobayashi had shut down the academy several times, but he hadn't committed any real damage besides hacking into the academy computer data mainframe.

Their relationship quickly became a cat and mouse game, Spock was reluctant to admit. Both he and Kobayashi seemed to harbor distrust for the other, as the viruses and counteracts started to get more personal. It was like they were challenging each other's intelligence and finding them both equal in the department.

This displeased Spock very much.

Their chats even became more personal, to the point that Spock began to directly ignore it. This person obviously did not appreciate the Vulcan culture and often ridiculed it making Spock wonder how such a bigoted fool got through the mandatory Starfleet mental medical scanners. Logically, to help find the culprit, a Vulcan issued exam was given to all cadets and staff only to turn up that everyone passed and no telling signs of who could possibly be the Vulcan hater was present. Spock's patience was beginning to thin for Kobayashi.

Jim couldn't have agreed with Spock more unless he had known the Vulcan was feeling the same. Time was slowly inching away and the damn Vulcan was still _alive_. The game, though serious, had gone on long enough, but if Jim was to approach Spock now, what grounds would he have for it? Spock had never met Jim, only Kobayashi. By meeting Spock, ultimately, he would give away he was Kobayashi Alternative and prevent his chances of ever getting close enough to knock him off the face of the universe.

He had to do something different. He needed a different plan to get him closer, but what could he do? It wasn't until after the fifteenth or so time they had countered each other's virus codes that night that he got an idea.

_:Hey, Spock._

_:State your personal identification._

_:This is getting boring, so I think it's safe to assume we're an equal match._ There was a pause.

_:You are going to relinquish your identity and willingly give yourself up to authorities?_

Jim laughed to himself. _:No. But, I was thinking that maybe I've been a bit of an ass lately. You're actually really smart and I like that in a person. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble around the academy, it's just really fun to mess with you. I couldn't stop myself._

_:Apologies will not erase the fact you have delayed several activities, hidden many important documents from Starfleet staff and committed hate crimes against my species, however, should you give yourself up to me, I will lessen your punishment personally._

_:Yeah, no. Thanks though. But, since we're just going to bat each other's codes all night, I figured maybe we could so something to pass the time? You see, it's hard to find a person as intelligent as I am. _Jim told him_._

_:I can also imagine it must be hard to find someone that matches your illogical ego as well._

_:lol, good one! _He paused, _:But, instead of back and forth between codes and viruses, how about we play an actual game and talk to each other?_ Another pause.

_:I did not prefer the talking we have had previously since you made it clear that you do not appreciate Vulcan culture._ Spock replied.

_:So teach me to like it. Like I said, you're really smart and I like that in a person. And the best thing is, you can keep your guard up all you want because I'm being serious. Consider this a white flag. You won't be getting any viruses from me as long as you humour me._ The next hesitation was much longer than any others before.

_:I do not believe there is reason to state I suspect you to be misleading me?_

_:I don't take offense! 8D I don't blame you. Use all the precaution you want. So how about it?_ Jim stared at the blinking text line for several seconds. Would Spock take his bait?

_:What game did you have in mind?_ Target destroyed. Jim smiled and typed in various codes so that they could play a game and keep score without being traced. Jim knew Spock was going to attempt to do it several times throughout the game, but now was the time to form misguided trust. Just like with Bones.

Spock stared at his terminal prompt for many seconds, wondering what Kobayashi was planning. He had no reason to trust this person, and yet, Spock couldn't help to feel intrigued. It was true the cadets would be graduating soon and the actual _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam would be beginning in two days, swamping Spock with grade work, so it was clear this man was hoping to catch him off guard for something. It was what, Spock couldn't deduce.

Suddenly, over his screen appeared a digital wire-frame 3D chess game in garish 2D green. Underneath the game window was another prompt from Kobayashi. _:Do you play chess?_ Spock looked over the game cautiously and monitored his computer to see no other activity. Kobayashi made the first move, making a tiny blip sound. Nothing happened. With no other choice, and keeping a close eye on the monitoring systems, Spock conceded and moved his first piece.

Neither one knew the other was in their own way smiling.

…

It began gradually. At first, Spock didn't appear any different at all. He looked minutely irritated, but that wasn't unusual. Then Spock began to look slightly tired during his duties, but obviously content with something. And then, Spock appeared more energetic than Captain Pike had seen him in years.

Pike wasn't going to say anything about it as the days turned into weeks, but something different had happened. With Spock doing the Vulcan equivalent of having a good time and the threats of Kobayashi Alternative non-existent in the past two months—Pike had a lot to worry about.

It was after the eighth _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam for that day before Pike said anything about it. He entered into the exam observation room, scanning for the Vulcan, and saw him sitting in the back corner watching the test and the sweating cadet inside. Though the Captain knew his friend was grading him logically, something about the way he was staring into the exam room tipped him off that Spock wasn't fully concentrating. Nothing could have confirmed it more until the test completed in failure, the cadet lowering his head in shame, and Spock deciding that was enough tests for the day and went to exit, passing by Pike as though he hadn't noticed him at all.

Pike called to him in question, and the Vulcan stopped, turned and looked at him with telling eyes that almost shown a Human curiosity. Spock really hadn't seen him, had he?

"Do you require something, Captain?"

Pike peered into him. "I came to see how the final exams were going. A lot of cadets have been crying lately over failing this impossible test."

"That is illogical." Spock told him evenly. "However, to answer your previous query, the exams are as they were four years ago. No one has passed, but all have shown exceptional command and tactile skills. This year's cadets will be a most accomplished bunch."

Pike smirked. "I do believe you just complimented the entire campus body, Mr. Spock." Spock didn't reply but inclined his head and turned back towards the exit. As he left, Pike followed after him not even needing to hear Spock voice his desired company. They walked together, step in step, more than likely towards Mr. Spock's office for more private grading. Pike chose then to question the irregular behaviour.

"Are you sleeping well?"

"Pardon?" Spock asked, still walking.

"I've just noticed that you seem to have more energy lately. I wanted to know if you've been sleeping better."

Spock's answer wavered. Tip off #1. "My sleeping habits have not changed recently. I am still receiving four to six standard hours of sleep each night."

"Okay. How about your eating habits? Have you changed your diet?"

Spock swallowed so quickly, if Pike hadn't been watching him so closely, he would have missed it. Tip off #2. "No, Captain. I have been eating regularly and no changes have occurred within my dietary needs."

"That's good to hear, Mr. Spock. So no changes in your sleeping or dietary habits. Alright. Have you been doing any different activities?"

"Activities?" A slight rise in his voice. Tip off #3.

"Yes. Activities, like playing a sport or joining another after class program. Even taking up a hobby or getting into a new television series. Reading, writing, learning. You name it." They reached Spock's office, exactly where Pike assumed they were heading. He was about to follow Spock inside, like he had done many times before, but the Vulcan stopped him at the door. This was also irregular. There was never a time Spock valued his privacy so highly _he_ was never allowed inside.

"Captain, I must bid thee farewell. I have much grading to do and require no assistance at this time."

"Spock," Pike began, knowing an evasion when he saw one. The Vulcan continued.

"Perhaps we may rejoin for dinner this evening?" He gave no time for Pike to reply and went inside, the door swishing open around him. Before it could close, Pike stopped it by putting his hand out over the edge. It stopped automatically. Spock didn't.

"Spock." He called, and finally the Vulcan halted. He turned and looked back at him, neutrality over his features and a completely rigid form. Enough evading. Pike was his superior officer and if needed, he'd pull rank to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Yes, Captain?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"What question, Sir?" Spock: King of stalling.

"Have you taken up any new activities?" Vulcans did not lie often, but Pike knew him. Spock wouldn't lie to him would he? He decided to call him on it. Call his bluff if need be. The silence was answer enough. Spock was hiding something.

The Captain stepped closer, and the Vulcan moved steadily backward, as if frightened by his equal height. Normally, something like this would make Pike back down, leave and give Spock his peace, but this wasn't one of those times. Spock was his _best friend_. What was it that he couldn't tell him?

They backed up until Spock couldn't go anywhere else, the back of his knees colliding with his personal terminal. Spock didn't look frightened, no, he looked like he normally did. Stoic, even, logical. The Vulcan stared back at him with unmoving eyes. Pike stared back, waiting for an answer.

"Spock," he tried once more, "does this have anything to do with the fact that Kobayashi Alternative hasn't attacked the mainframe in months?" As if on cue, Spock's terminal _pinged_. Spock turned to look down at it, and the Captain peered through his arm to see a half played chess game and many prompts below it. They were with Kobayashi, he was sure, but the type he was reading wasn't their usual banter. In fact, if his eyes weren't lying to him, it looked like they'd been discussing warp theories and hot chocolate.

No one spoke. The air around them became thick.

Spock looked away, as if ashamed. Pike swallowed, now putting the pieces together. His subtle moods, energy, and quick grading. Curiosity had finally won over the logical Vulcan. There was never a time Pike wished he were Kobayashi more than now.

"You do know," Pike said into the silence, "Kobayashi is the enemy."

"I know this, Sir." Came the quick, quiet reply.

"And yet, instead of discovering his identity, you're discussing—what is that?—hot chocolate? You told me you didn't 'prefer' anything chocolate!" Did he sound jealous? He wasn't sure.

"I do not."

"Then what the hell is this, Commander?"

Spock breathed deeply, apparently knowing there was no way to evade now. "Kobayashi has 'raised the white flag' as he put it. While counteracting each other's viruses, to pass the time, he suggested we play virtual chess. The games and conversation have been more revealing to his personality. Using it, I may be able to pin point who Kobayashi is."

Pike considered him carefully. "If you're plan is to expose him, why evade the question? How long has this been going on and why haven't you told me anything about it?" Spock didn't falter, but looked away to his desk like the answer lied there. This poor half-Human, half-Vulcan had no idea how telling those eyes were. How _Human_ they were.

"The problem became isolated."

"The problem has _been_ isolated since Kobayashi discovered _your_ identity."

"I took it upon myself to handle Kobayashi personally." He finally told him. "It appears his sole interest lie within my person and so, with his recent change in tactics, I have been isolating his criminal activity and trying to coax him into giving himself up to authorities upon the confirmation his punishment will be lessened." Pike looked once again back to the prompt window.

"Did you plan on talking about that before or after the talk of whether current matter/anti-matter warp drives were consistent with neutrino variables?" Spock looked at him unchanged.

"Kobayashi is quite intelligent."

"Damnit, Spock." Pike marched away from him, giving both he and the Vulcan some space. He knew it! He simply _knew_ it! Leaving the unknown hacker alone with Spock had only blossomed an interest that the Vulcan in Spock simply couldn't ignore. They _were_ a match. Had Pike been such a fool that he hadn't realized the passion from this chase was growing? It's not that he didn't trust Spock to know his limits, quite the contrary, it was that Spock often did these projects alone and that could lead to him missing the obvious fact that his interest in Kobayashi was greater than his need to identify him.

He didn't want to do this, but Spock and Kobayashi needed to be separated. With graduation coming up and the hacker still unknown and walking among them, the last thing they needed was this guy gaining rank. He trusted Spock and knew eventually he would see the logic of duty before interest, but this was not something Pike was willing to risk. _I'm sorry, Spock._

"Commander, I'm relieving you of this duty. You are no longer obligated to maintain and intercept Kobayashi Alternative."

"Sir?"

"All data you have will be transferred to the science department for complete study and research." Spock blinked several times but said nothing. "I'm sorry, but I can't chance you becoming emotionally compromised over Kobayashi."

That made Spock start. "Captain, I am not emotionally compromised nor on the verge of being so. I am Vulcan. I do not feel. I take full responsibility for Kobayashi Alternative and ask that you allow my work to continue. I can have his identity in three months or less." Spock was bartering his services?

"And you're sure of this?" Pike asked.

Spock nodded. "I can prove it to you, Captain, that I am not becoming emotionally compromised. I will discover Kobayashi Alternative's identity. I will place him under arrest. By utilizing his cease-fire I can gather more information. Logically, transferring him to someone who does not know him will cause him to withdraw again, attack again, and we may never know who he is before the graduation date." The Vulcan placed his hands behind his back, his form going rigid and showing true determination. "Captain Pike, you know as well as I do what kind of harms Starfleet could encounter should a person such as Kobayashi rise through our rank system. With power, even if it takes place five or eight years from now, will be detrimental should he decide to use them against us or to get what he wants."

"I'm well aware of this, Commander."

"Then I ask you to allow me to keep my responsibilities with Kobayashi Alternative. You have my word as a Vulcan that I will discover his identity prior to graduation." So much passion inside those brown eyes. This meant a lot to the Vulcan, but what could Pike do? He received a Vulcan guarantee, but was it enough?

Pike had no reason to doubt him.

This was Spock, after all. With the emotional involvement brought to front, he was certain Spock would lead himself back to the correct path. He'd take Spock's word for it. If he said three months or less, fine. But Pike wasn't finished with him.

"Alright, Mr. Spock. I'll leave Kobayashi Alternative in your care, but only under one condition." Spock's features marginally relaxed and his jaw set firm to show he was ready for the catch. Pike dragged a lazy finger up and directly pointed it into the Vulcan's chest. "I want you to be my First Officer when academy season is over."

The Vulcan stared at him briefly before looking away again. "You desire me to fill such a roll? I am untried. Do you think it would be wise?"

"Are you doubting your own abilities?"

"No, Sir." He paused, thinking, and then nodded to some form of logic within his mind. "I will agree to your terms. I accept your offer. I will serve with you." Well, at least that's one thing he was getting out of this mess.

"I'll send the proper paperwork in a couple of days. Try to make time for it in between your chat logs with Kobayashi, savvy?" Spock nodded.

The air around them felt thicker than before and Pike began to wonder if he was making a mistake. It'd been two long years and he didn't know if he had waited too long to take Spock away from this fiend. Well, whatever happens, happens, he told himself. He would just have to trust Spock's word.

…

A/N – Do you think Spock is becoming a bit too involved in Kobayashi Alternative? He's had two years to track him down and only recently they've gotten friendly. Do you think Pike has every reason to be worried about the outcome? Do you think Pike did the right thing?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N – It's time for Kobayashi Alternative to finally meet the _Kobayashi Maru_!

…

Everyone knew who Jim Kirk was. From his bouts with the slave trading rings of Orion, to the rediscovery of his earth home and enlisting into a service to prevent future slave rings, he was known. Even if they didn't know what he looked like, they all knew his name. Gossip was unavoidable, but McCoy did his share to prevent anything negative. He couldn't stop the womanizing and flirtatious gossip, let alone the ego gossip, but he was able to prevent anything damaging to Jim's reputation and Jim was thankful for that. However, since Jim was such a celebrity among the cadets, when something went wrong, the entire campus body would know about it. So when he failed his very first exam, it was top academy news.

Jim looked the large red number over in his dataPADD. Starfleet academy was so behind in their time that he had surpassed his classes and served on the top leader boards of most of his academics since he enrolled. Captain Pike proclaimed him a genius and praised him in his route for command, but Jim was astonished by the horrible thirty percent he'd received for his _Kobayashi Maru_ exam. Jim was so used to making nothing lower than a ninety-nine that the thirty was like a straight punch to his jaw. There must have been a mistake.

Jim knocked on the door before he entered. He heard Captain Pike's voice on the other side allowing him entry and activated the motion sensors to allow himself in. The office was small, like all the offices were, putting the main focus on the large desk in the back where Pike sat. He looked tired, worried, and uncomfortable. Jim couldn't understand why since, as Kobayashi Alternative, he hadn't caused any problems in two months. If anything, Pike should be praising his god or gods if he worshipped any. Jim's plans as Kobayashi no longer required him to disrupt the academy, so why did Pike look so alienated?

"Something you need, Kirk?" Pike asked when Jim said nothing upon entry.

"Yes, Sir." Jim told him, stepping forward and handing over his dataPADD. Pike took it and looked it over. "I think there's been a mistake."

"I don't see a problem." Pike said, handing the dataPADD back. Jim only stared at it as though it was an alien device. He offered a laugh before taking it.

"That's a good one, Sir, but clearly you can see the thirty percent I received for my final exam." Pike continued on with his work, which appeared to just be paper work. Barely paying him attention, which was unusual since Pike often gave him the attentiveness a father might their own child. Was something on Pike's mind?

"There's been no mistake, Jim." Pike said flatly. Was he serious?

"But, I made a thirty! I haven't made anything below a ninety-nine all semester!"

Pike sighed and stopped briefly what he was doing. "Normally, I'd take your side, but that grade is for the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam. In fact, a thirty is pretty good considering the usual grade average. You should be proud of yourself."

Jim's jaw hung for only an instant. "Proud that I made a _thirty?_ I performed the best command decisions given the parameters of the test, and though I lost the _Kobayashi Maru_ to the Klingons, I still did the duties expected of me as a starship captain. How in the hell could I make a thirty?"

Pike stopped completely and began popping his knuckles, blatantly showing Jim how long he'd been in his office. "If you're not satisfied with your grade, you can always re-test; but I'm going to warn you, Kirk, no one has ever passed the _Kobayashi Maru___Exam. You're better off sticking with the thirty." That made Jim pause. No one had ever passed the test? Then why give it? "And it's not like it counts towards your final grade." Pike added, now looking at him directly and not his paperwork. "Just don't worry about it. You've proven your skills and abilities just fine to Starfleet. I won't be surprised if your first mission places you aboard a flagship or an exploring vessel."

"Thank you, Sir." Jim told him, but thinking about how that won't in hell happen. He'd be back with the _Narada_ by then. "But, if the test has no purpose and no one has passed it, why does Starfleet make it a requirement to take it as a final?" Pike sat up straight and smiled at him, pushing some of his work aside.

"Where you come from, did they ever make you experience the worst scenarios so you'd be thankful for the routine ones you're faced with daily?"

Jim thought about it, knowing he was referring to his 'slave' life and nodded, relating the idea to when Nero used to whip him just in case he would do something wrong. "Think of this test as something that every officer must face at some point." Pike continued. "The real lesson behind the test changes for everyone, so there's no real answer to your question. What I can tell you is that it's an important character test. That's why everyone has to take it."

"Well, I think it's a little _unfair_ to make cadets take a test that can't be won."

Pike placed his hands on the desk. "Now, wait just a second. I never said the test couldn't be beaten."

"Then why has no one passed it?" Jim asked him with a little sarcasm bleeding through. Pike didn't seem to mind, his own thoughts still heavy with something.

"That's just how it's been." Jim stared at him and said nothing. Pike sighed and looked him sternly in the eyes. "Look, if you're so upset about it, just retake the test. You're allowed to take it as many times as you want before graduation and it won't affect your grade at all."

"I'll do that." Came Jim's quick response. "Thank you for your time." And Jim left the office, slightly irritated, but not down for the count. It was so strange to him that Starfleet would make him take a test that _no one_ had ever beaten before. But that was just like Federation scum. Always taking advantage of the weaker ones to save face for their money hungry figure heads.

Fine. As Kobayashi Alternative, Jim had proven to the dogs he could do whatever he wanted. Now as cadet Jim Kirk, he would show them that perhaps a Human couldn't pass the exam, but a strong, loyal Romulan could. He'd beat that test and when he betrayed them, watch them steam at the knowledge a Romulan spy had beat them at their own selfish game.

…

It wasn't until after the second time Jim took the exam that he was thoroughly convinced the _Kobyashi Maru_ Exam was unbeatable, despite what Captain Pike had told him. His plan had been flawless. He'd ran the simulations through his mind and had even asked other graduates their ideas on how to beat the exam, only to turn out the best solution—and to watch it crumble before him when a scenario he hadn't anticipated shook it to the ground. Jim now sat staring at a twenty-one percent grade and he was seething with anger.

His solution was simple. The moment the _Kobayashi Maru _sent their distress call, he would request back-up and wait on their order since the _Kobayashi Maru_ was in Klingon territory. Of course, he knew the frequencies would be jammed, but used his futuristic knowledge to make a subspace wave transmitter from his own ship and contact Starfleet to tackle the problem of the Klingons. No one else had this knowledge but him, so there was a win solution right?

Wrong.

Just as his transmission was going through, another jam forced his plan to shit and made him have to confront the Klingons while trying to save the _Kobayashi Maru_. Needless to say, it was useless and his ship had been destroyed along with the civilian ship.

No matter what scenarios Jim ran through his mind, the test had proven to be unwinnable. Just to make sure, he even went as far as to try it a third time before realizing he needed a different tactic. This was no longer about winning the program so much as proving he _could_ beat it. But this time, instead of studying the parameters and various situations that could occur, Jim decided to pull a Kobayashi Alternative on their asses in quite the literal sense. He'd find a way into the program and discreetly change the scenario and _make_ it winnable.

The only problem was, he had to do it without rousing suspicion and alerting to everyone he was Kobayashi Alternative. That meant he needed a pawn. But whom could he choose for such a particular task?

"Tabitha." Uhura ignored him; keep walking, she told herself, and he'll go away. "Tabitha!" He called again, but longer making it sound like "Taaaaaaabitha!" She still ignored him, keeping forward to her dorm room. Jim was quick on her heels. "Tabitha!"

Uhura came to a complete stop and whirled around to face him. Her hair spun and smacked him in the face, but Jim didn't seem bothered by it. Instead giving her a goofy smile. It was a wonder why the hero's baby kept calling her Tabitha when he had already managed to learn her real name from their mutual friend McCoy.

"What is it, Kirk?" She asked with the most deadly smile she could produce.

"I haven't seen you in a while. I thought we could hang out."

Uhura laughed at him. Was he serious? She turned away and kept her stride to her dorm. She really didn't have time for him. "Was it something I said?" Jim asked, quickly following after her. "Tabitha," he tried again, "come on, you're being a real meanie to me."

"My name is not Tabitha." She replied as evenly as her favourite instructor.

Jim snickered. "There you go again, Tabitha, speaking crazy like always. Hey!" He said suddenly, jumping in front of her to bring her to halt. "I have a great idea. How about you and I go a couple of rounds at the gym? I know how you love punching me."

"Kirk!" this had gone far enough. She had finals to study for, reputations to live up to, and as much as she ironically _did_ enjoy punching the hero's baby during their occasional sparring matches, she didn't have time. Her communications studies came first, and while down in the lab, she'd ran across a bizarre transmission she wanted to log into her database before she forgot to. It must have been bad luck that made her forget her dataPADD in her dorm the same day Kirk wanted to play with her. "Listen, I have things to do. You're going to have to find someone else to bother."

"Okay," Jim smiled, "if we can't spar, maybe I can assist you with your studies? I don't speak many other languages, but I've heard I'm good with my tongue." Uhura sighed when he gave the most ridiculous kissy-face.

"Not interested." She proclaimed and pushed by him. Jim was relentless, following on her heels again.

"Come on," Jim urged again, "you're especially bitchy today. Did something happen?"

Her response was quick and calculated. "It's none of your business." And it really wasn't. But as she thought he would, Kirk persisted. He sped up and got in front of her, stopping her again as she gave a look of annoyance. Ever since the day she met him, Kirk had always managed to find a way to make her stop for him. No matter what it was about. She blamed their mutual friend McCoy for her uncharacteristic care she often gave him, but it was getting harder to lie to herself. Jim Kirk was actually a great guy once you got passed his boisterous exterior.

"If you must know," she started, giving in. It wasn't like it was _that_ big of a deal. "I was in the communications lab and happened to translate the strangest transmission coming in on a subspace wave emergency frequency. I don't think it was supposed to be caught and I need to get my dataPADD so I can log it." Jim offered a smile at the response, and then he arranged his features into curiosity.

"What was it?" he asked.

She debated whether or not tell him, and seeing no harm in it since it was just strange and not at all crucial, she gave in. "It came from a Klingon prison. Something about an escape and a stolen ship. It's probably nothing that has anything to do with us, but strange all the same. I need to log it." Jim smiled and stepped out of her way, obviously realizing the importance of her task. For a brief moment, Kirk looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry to bother you. You have stuff to do." He told her quickly. "But, hey, thanks for talking with me. We don't speak much now and I was starting to miss you." That… made Uhura feel a little guilty. "But, I'll leave you to your work." He said with another smile and started off.

She watched him leave and damnit if it didn't make her heart ache. So it was true they hadn't had any time recently to talk, and the only time she saw him now was in passing, but… "Kirk." She called, and Jim stopped, but didn't turn around. "Look, I'm really sorry. Just let me go log this and maybe… well," she paused, looking around at her feet, "maybe you could help me study." Mr. Spock was her usual tutor but he'd been captivated with a private project for months now. She could use a study partner and Jim Kirk was really intelligent, despite his egotistical and nonchalant front.

When she finally looked up, Jim was in front of her with a sincere smile. Completely unaware of what his smile had really meant.

…

It was a real pity. Jim actually liked Uhura a lot, enough to even say he wouldn't mind asking to court her and watch it blossom into something more. Uhura was beautiful, smart, sassy, and so many other traits rolled up into one. Her determination was admirable, and her strength was beyond compare considering how thin she was. And over his study within the academy, she'd been a great friend—maybe not as great as Bones, but someone he could talk to now and then when they crossed paths. Her annoyance was his pleasure since she seemed to secretly like it too. Uhura was one of few girls he hadn't performed Romulan touches on, and an intimate part of him really wanted to, but he knew better than to get involved with her like that.

Uhura was cool and all, but not worth trading for the loyalty he gave to the Romulan Empire.

They'd been studying in one of the private study rooms for nearly an hour. Soon Uhura, too, would be taking the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam, so Jim was giving her pointers and helping her with what he already knew from the exam. He actually proved useful to her and the study session was a great success.

"And why have you taken it three times?" She asked while sipping juice through a tiny straw. Jim just finished gulping down the last of his tea.

"I like the challenge." He told her unflappably. "Plus, I think it's a great way to show the admirals I'm command material. I really have my heart set on being a Captain one day." Uhura laughed and pulled back up her dataPADD. Her smile was so beautiful. Jim wondered briefly if his own mother's smiles were like that. She had been Human after all.

"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?"

"Do you?" He countered.

"Well, yeah," she giggled, "it doesn't count towards your final and the test is pretty tough. I can't imagine why anyone would take it more than once. _I_ haven't even taken it yet and I'm so nervous!"

Jim twirled his cup in his hands on top of the desk. "I've failed every time," he admitted, "but, I can't help but to keep trying. I keep thinking there's something I'm missing and if I do the test enough, I just may find it." He looked her in her eyes and smiled, "I don't believe in no-win scenarios, Uhura. It's not me. I want to save all those people aboard the _Kobayashi Maru_."

She looked away with features that looked sympathetic and longing. "That's noble of you, Kirk. But there might be a day when you're faced with this problem in real life and you may have to face the fact you _can't_ save them—"

"I refuse to believe that."

"—that's life." She said solemnly. He wanted to say more, but knew there wasn't really anything he could say to her. Uhura was apart of the Federation. She couldn't possibly understand the virtues he was taught by the Romulans. Justice, security, hope, all would blow over her head in a situation like that of the _Kobayashi Maru_ scenario, should it ever become a real life situation for any of them. Jim looked away, still twirling his cup when Uhura stood.

"Thanks for helping me." She told him with a warm smile. "There's only two more chapters left but I'm out of juice and you're out of tea. I'll go get us some more and we can wrap this up in a few minutes. Sound good?" The blonde nodded and handed her his cup. She took it with a grin blooming over her and left the private study room for the nearest replicator. The moment he saw the door swish open and closed around her, Jim hesitated until he couldn't hear her on the other side of the door anymore. Then, watching the door carefully, Jim reached over and grabbed Uhura's dataPADD which she'd left on the table.

Since they'd been studying, there was no need to bypass her security passwords to get into it. Quickly, Jim began going into the core data of her device, using it as a proxy to temporarily access his own dataPADD and retrieve the necessary coding for his plan. This way, when the code was accessed while he took the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam, nothing would lead back to him and show he was Kobayashi Alternative. Uhura's device would ultimately play a decoy and send scrambling signals to cover up exactly where the coding was coming from and leave him in the clear.

The worst that could happen would be the discovery of the signal emanating from her dataPADD and the confiscation of it for study of Kobayashi Alternative hacking; she'd have nothing to hide and give it up willingly, making this another sorry case of a wild goose chase. No one harmed and Jim a single _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam passer. Jim Kirk could trump these fuckers any day.

Just as he finished coding the new scenario to his prompt call, Uhura came back with a new glass of juice and a cup of tea. He sat it down quickly, in hopes she hadn't caught him since she came in looking at the cups and not him directly. He smiled, covering up any deceit he committed and waited for her to rejoin him, completely unaware of the treachery upon her own device.

"Ready to continue?" She asked, passing him his warm cup of spice tea.

Jim nodded. "I'm _so_ ready."

…

It was so ironic to him, or maybe a really strange coincidence that how he chose his pseudonym was exactly how he figured out how to beat the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam. He remembered seeing the coding flitting about in the mainframe, just a header, and now he understood that when he'd seen this random bit of text, he had actually been looking at the re-written programming for the test itself. Remembering where he'd seen it, Jim bypassed all security discreetly and placed his subroutine, now waiting for his call to activate. This was going to be good.

"Jim, you're either the craziest person I know, or you have a bizarre fetish that needs explaining." Jim was gathering his books and zipping up his uniform in their small living area.

"Can't I just be persistent? Audacious? Even a go-getter? It's just a test."

"Exactly why I'm trying to figure out _why_ you're being so damn pushy to take this test three—no—_four_ damn times!" McCoy argued.

"Doesn't it bother you that no one's ever passed the test?" Jim asked, finishing his uniform and standing full height. McCoy looked him over, reaching out to remove a loose thread.

"No." He replied lowly. "_Everyone_ has taken the test and _everyone_ has failed."

"And it also doesn't bother you why we have to take it if we're just going to fail?"

"Listen, Jim," McCoy began as Jim started to head for the exit of their dorm. He stopped him right at the door. "It doesn't count towards your final grade. No one in their right mind would take it a second time since it _doesn't count_, let alone a third or fourth damn time!" Jim smiled, and Bones looked it over carefully. It looked like a little light went on in his head. "Wait a second, I know that look! This is has something to do with Kobayashi Alternative, doesn't it? You've planned another academy down day, haven't you?"

Jim shook his head. "Not really, no. I'm just a legit guy going to go take a legit test." McCoy rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"You're full of shit." Jim leaned forward and pat his cheek softly.

"Wish me luck?" Jim asked playfully.

"You're gonna fail."

Jim laughed and moved his way out. "Thanks for the _support_." And he was gone, McCoy waiting a few beats before he rushed to the doorframe and called out to his dear friend.

"Jim!" He called down the hall to a walking away Kirk, "I swear to god, boy, that if your re-test is the same time as mine and Nyota's test, I'll bludgeon you right in the exam room for everyone to watch!" Jim ignored him. "I _mean_ it!" Bones called again, but Jim still ignored him, turning a corner with a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.

…

McCoy would kill him. In fact, as soon as the test was over, Bones was _personally_ going to see to it that Jim Kirk could never walk again. He focused on his faux-terminal, trying to concentrate on his test but finding it difficult with a certain blonde cadet placed in the fake command chair. Jim had _known_ his re-test would be during his and Uhura's first try. He'd probably planned it that way—and what was worse, Bones knew something was going to happen and knew it had something to do with Kobayashi Alternative. He tried to focus, but gave up on it when Jim's attitude towards the test became more playful than serious.

"The Klingons are firing!" McCoy told his 'Captain'. Jim just smiled, sat back in the chair and swiveled around like a child playing a spin game.

"Okay." Jim said unconcerned.

McCoy switched glances with Uhura at the faux-communications station. Bless that woman's heart, she was showing so much restraint when he knew she, too, wanted to beat the shit out of their friend. Jim had been treating the test like a game since it began. Neither one of them appreciated it since this was their first try at the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam.

"Just 'okay'?" McCoy asked, clearly irritated. "No, 'hey, Bones, fire those torpedo things' or maybe a plan to retreat?"

Jim swiveled in his chair again. "Nah, we're good."

"We're _good_?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Was he even taking this test seriously? Bones grumbled to himself and awaited orders when Jim winked at him, flashed a brilliant smile, and then Jim's features disappeared from view when the entire test room when completely black.

They waited in dark and silence for five seconds before everything came back online. Bones checked his station, looking for errors but found none. Perhaps it had been a glitch? McCoy looked at Jim's smiling face and mentally shook his head. No. That had been planned.

The fake bridge rocked from another Klingon attack. "Orders?" McCoy asked almost desperately. Their shields were down to twenty percent now.

Jim paused for a second, taking in the faces around his fake crew and blinked a few times before he stood up and casually walked around. "Uhura," he said loudly, "alert Sickbay to prepare and receive all crew members from the damaged ship."

Uhura rolled her eyes, her patience at its thinnest. "How do you expect us to _rescue_ them when we're surrounded?" Jim's grin became cocky and sure.

"Alert Sickbay." He ordered pointedly, looking as if he was daring her to challenge him. Uhura took a deep breath and followed the order. As she let her fingers fall over the controls, she stopped briefly for an unexpected result. She turned to Jim.

"The _Kobayashi Maru_ is still in distress… but the Klingons have stopped firing." Jim looked damned pleased with himself and turned to McCoy.

"Hey Bones," he mocked, "fire those 'torpedo things'."

McCoy grumbled, obviously not understanding what the hell was going on with his friend. "I'd love to, _Captain_, but their shields are up. Need I remind you that these are Klingon _Warbirds_?"

Jim sat back down, looking at him with a single, egotistically raised brow. "I know, but you should really be checking your station instead of discussing Klingon class vessels with me. You might miss something." This was getting ridiculous!

"Miss something? What could I possibly—" McCoy stopped mid-breath when he looked down to see the Klingon shields were non-existent. They were completely vulnerable. "They're gone."

"What was that?" Jim asked, hamming it up by placing a hand to his ear as if to hear him better.

"The Klingons have dropped their shields."

"Well!" Jim started, sitting up right and facing the fake view screen. "Arm photo torpedoes and fire on all enemy ships. Oh," he said turning back to Bones, "and only use one per ship. No need to waste ammunition." The smile was telling and Bones didn't like it. He followed the orders and watched in awe along with the testing others as each Warbird blew to pieces.

Jim laughed and swiveled around dramatically before standing up from the command chair. "Begin rescue of all stranded crew." He ordered, then walked around to each of the testing students. "So, we've eliminated all enemy ships, no one on board was injured, and the successful rescue of the _Kobayashi Maru_ crew is underway with," he looked at the chronometre on the command chair, "just enough time to make it back to earth and report directly to Starfleet Headquarters. I'm proud of you guys. You all did well. Except you Bones," Jim playfully added, "You were _astounding!_" He laughed. "_Torpedo things!_" he chuckled under his breath like that was the funniest things he'd ever heard.

In the observation room of the test, numerous colleagues were whispering and ranting about the fact that Jim Kirk had just passed the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam. Everyone was in frenzy—all except one particular Vulcan.

Commander Benson looked at Spock with disbelief written over him. "How in the hell did he beat your test?" Spock stood up and approached the one-way screen to look down at this cadet named Jim Kirk. He studied him as the blonde smiled and tried to play up something with the other cadet known as Leonard McCoy. The golden boy and son of a hero finally brought back to earth to serve in Starfleet in his father's name. A reputable student with great intelligence and standing. Yes, Spock knew who Jim Kirk was, everyone did, but this was the first time he'd ever seen him.

"I do not know." Spock finally replied.

…

The hours flew by like minutes, but it didn't surprise Jim when he heard the orders that an assembly was being called for immediately. Bones thought it was going to be about another Kobayashi Alternative scheme, but Jim was sure this was going to be something to commemorate his passing of the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam. He was so sure, Jim could only laugh at McCoy and his worry as they entered into the assembly hall.

"Jim, I'm telling you this time you really fucked up." Bones whispered while shaking his head. "You've finally given them a connection. Even if you _were_ smart enough to cover up your trail, the fact that Kobayashi Alternative striked at the exact moment to give you a lead for your _fourth_ re-test, they're gonna know the two are related!"

"You're giving these asses too much credit." Jim waved him off under his breath. "They haven't caught me during my entire enrollment here. Plus, I _did_ cover my tracks and even if they did find it, there's no way to say it was Kobayashi Alternative and not some random glitch."

"At least you _hope_." McCoy added and they sat down, Bones clearly worried and Jim at ease with himself. They looked to the front and saw admirals all lined up, but no Captain Pike as all the other assemblies had been. That should have worried him, but he relaxed himself. There was no way—

Admiral Barnett called for attention, then once everyone was settled, he began. "Cadet James T. Kirk. Please step forward to the podium." Bones shot him a look, cautious and scared for him, grabbing his wrist with what looked to be a plea. Jim's heart began racing, but he kept himself cool. Nothing had been said yet, he was still in the clear.

Jim nodded to Bones and mouthed for him to relax, unconsciously telling himself to do the same. He took his time and walked down the pathway, nervous under the scrutiny of the watching cadets and staff. Jim didn't know why, but he looked around for Uhura. When he managed to find her, he was thankful she was present, but she refused to look at him. That made his heart pound. Why was she looking the other way?

Jim reached the podium and stood proud, tall, like any good Romulan. Taking a breath, he steadied himself. Admiral Barnett, the academy President, began.

"An incident has occurred today that concerns the entire campus body. Academic immorality by one reflects upon us all." Barnett shot him a heavy glare. "Cadet Kirk, evidence has been presented that you violated an academic ethical code of conduct 17.43 of the Starfleet code." Jim's heart jumped into his throat. He'd been caught, but not as Kobayashi Alternative. The worst that could happen was probation from here. Nothing serious. Jim rolled with it smoothly. "Is there anything you'd like to say before we begin?"

Jim hesitated, looking around at all the staring faces. "I believe it's my right to face my accuser." Jim wanted a good look at the face he was going to hate and possibly murder alongside with his plans. His plan had been _flawless!_ Who in the hell could have caught such a small integration of coding?

The admiral conceded and looked about for his accuser, but many seconds went by and no one stepped forward. He looked to Jim, "It appears he is not present at this assembly." That was just like Federation scum. Pussies. "However, we will locate him and bring him forward for you." Jim nodded, thankful that at least they would give him his proper justice and locate the bastard.

When it looked like the admiral was about give an order, everyone had their attention stopped upon the loud opening of a side door. The entire body looked over at the intruder. Two people stood in the doorway.

One was Captain Pike, a look of flushed anger over himself, and the other was a person Jim hadn't seen before. He was fair skinned, had a particular black cap of hair, and distinguishingly pointed ears.

Spock.

"The order will not be necessary." Spock said into the silence. "I am present." He began forward, Captain Pike taking up a seat on the sidelines and absolutely _refusing_ to meet Jim's eye. Spock continued forward and approached the other podium across from him. Jim had to look away to keep his anger down. There he was. The Vulcan he'd been after. But this wasn't how he had anticipated their meeting. But that aside, what really got to Jim was how _young_ Spock looked.

In his mind's eye, he'd always pictured the damn Vulcan as he saw him from the _Narada_ databanks. Old, wrinkly, toned with age. Heavy-lidded eyes and aged ears. This person beside him was nothing like that. Young, smooth, distinguished. Jim knew the Vulcan would be younger, but his plights through trying to wash him out made him forget that, however briefly. Their eyes locked for only an instant, and Jim could take no more. He looked away.

"This is Commander Spock," Barnett told him, confirming this Vulcan's person, "he is one of our most renowned graduates and has programmed the _Kobayashi Maru_ test for the last four years." Jim gulped. Jim hadn't known Spock programmed the test, but now it was becoming clear that Jim was no longer in the safe zone. Spock had dealt personally with Kobayashi Alternative. The irony that his tactics to bring the Vulcan out would lead to this unfortunate downfall. Jim counted his seconds and stiffened. There was nothing he could do. Any attempts of escape would be apprehended. As any proud Romulan, Jim faced it head on and stood with his head held high.

"Cadet Kirk." Spock began, his voice was smooth and even, unlike the voice he had put to his prompts using his imagination. "It has come to my attention that you managed to install a subroutine into the data of the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam, thereby changing the conditions of the test." It wasn't a question, it was a factual statement.

Jim nodded. "Admittedly."

"You are aware that changing the conditions of the test is forbidden."

Jim rolled his shoulders. "I didn't see anything stating that in the _Kobayashi Maru_ reference manual." Spock looked at him and their eyes met briefly again.

"This does not change the fact that you cheated." Spock said.

"If it isn't in the manual, then it mustn't be cheating."

"It goes without saying, Cadet Kirk," Spock countered, "as every cadet knows that changing the parameters of _any_ test is a result of cheating."

Jim bit his lip and steadied himself, looking warily at the dataPADD device on Spock's podium. "But this isn't about me cheating, is it, Mr. Spock?" Jim asked boldly. "You're not just upset that I beat your test, you're upset about _how_ I beat it."

"You constructed and entered in a subroutine via a change in code." Spock told him.

"And I wouldn't have done that if _someone_ hadn't programmed the test the be unbeatable."

"Elaborate." Spock ordered.

"I saw the coding," Jim told him pointedly, seething with hatred but hardly showing it, "the test itself, is a cheat! _You_ programmed it to circumvent any and all changes according to the decisions made by the students. You programmed the test to make everyone fail." Spock didn't reply. "I wasn't going to stand for such treachery." Jim spat.

Spock looked away and did the Vulcan equivalent of a sigh. "Then it appears that you have not only failed the test, but managed to fail to see the lesson of this test."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Please, _enlighten_ me."

"You, of all people, should know that a Captain cannot escape death."

Jim blinked. "Me, of all people?"

"Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk took command of his vessel before he was killed in action, did he not?"

Jim shrugged. "That's what they tell me."

Spock raised a brow. "You are uncertain?"

"I was taken at birth to a slave trading ring, _Commander_. I didn't even _know_ who the hell my father was until I crashed landed here. Furthermore," Jim said with a harsh point, "what my father did was irrelevant. I think you're just pissed someone could finally beat you at your own game and now you're trying to use my family name against me to get me to reveal something."

Spock paused. "How long did it take you to fathom this idea?"

"Depends, how long did it take you to locate my virus?" Both fell silent, watching the other carefully.

"You have still yet to understand the purpose of the test." Spock concluded.

"Why don't you enlighten me again?" Jim bit.

"The point is to experience fear—fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear and maintain command of one's self and one's crew. It is a necessary attribute for any Starfleet Captain." Spock glanced at him, "You can change the rules when applied to a test, Cadet Kirk, but real life is not something you can reprogram. You cannot change what has happened. What _will_ happen." That stung. That hit Jim straight in his heart as the ache for his people and how they were killed by this bastard Vulcan came to the front of his thoughts.

"That's a lot of assumption from a Vulcan who programs fear but hasn't experienced it." Jim met his dark eyes and wallowed in the electricity he felt. "I mean, because you're _Vulcan_. You don't feel a thing. You could annihilate an _entire planet_ and wouldn't blink an eye. What would _you_ know about fear?"

Spock's reply was quick and heavy. "I do not take offense to your illogical statement, as if I had the illogical capability of emotionalism to commit such a crime as destroying a planet, I would not, in fact, feel anything. This is what separates us, Cadet Kirk. I can control my emotions and perform my duties. You," he paused for effect, "must be taught such disciplines."

Jim fell short of a reply and went silent. Spock continued, almost haughtily. "And I must admit, Cadet Kirk, that I do not believe you have learned these disciplines yet, as anyone who could control the illogical nature of their egotism would not have made such a grave mistake as you have."

Jim sneered. "What, cheat?" he asked.

Spock didn't reply immediately, but peered at him, looking over his entire form with his eyes as though in disbelief, then took up the dataPADD sitting on his podium. He made it connect to the screen behind the admirals, making it flash and come alive so everyone could see what Spock was now doing.

The Vulcan entered some codes that Jim recognized and watched as he made a proxy to bypass and infiltrate Jim's own data device. He watched in silent horror, angry when everyone saw him pull up the data codes for Kobayashi Alternative's programs and symbols. His logo was brought to front and shown to everyone in the assembly who went into more whispers and talking. Spock looked at Jim expectantly.

"I don't think what you did was legal." Jim replied heatedly.

"On the contrary," Spock told him, "I merely followed a trail directly to the culprit whom has caused this academy their harshest troubles and initiated the subroutine sequence into the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam."

"You invaded private property." Jim tried again, getting angry. He knew this was for nothing and now he was only stalling.

"Wrong again, Cadet. Your dataPADD is property of Starfleet Academy." Jim knew this, but never anticipated all roads would lead back to him.

"How foolish of me to take offense." Jim replied.

"Agreed." Spock told him. "Now, do you deny cheating on the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam?" Jim waited, looking down at his feet and muttering to himself.

"I _respectfully_ admit that I coded in a subroutine to put the odds in my favour."

"And do you deny that you are Kobayashi Alternative given the evidence I have now provided?" Cadet Kirk stood there, not saying a word. He looked to Uhura who didn't look back, and then to Captain Pike who probably knew before they had entered and was now boring holes into him. At last, he turned to Bones who had turned his own face away in shame.

"Bones…" Jim whispered to himself.

Spock brought back his attention. "Do you deny it, Cadet Kirk?" Jim switched from foot to foot. He'd been caught and by the very Vulcan he despised. He should have known that Spock was the programmer of the test since it was he who had been handling him as Kobayashi. He should have known! But it's not like that was a routine question when he was trying to make Spock think he was safe. _'Oh and by the way, you wouldn't happen to be the programmer of the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam would you?'_ He felt a fool and understood his own consequences. There was no alternative and Jim gave in reluctantly. He didn't have much other choice.

"I am Kobayashi Alternative." He admitted proudly, looking up at Spock sternly and full of Romulan pride. The students began whispers again, gasping, chatting all taking place around him in a new bout of flurries. Admiral Barnett had to bring them back to attention from the shock.

"Then you are hereby under arrest, Cadet Kirk," Barnett told him, standing up from his place with authority, "and will be held until your discharge is complete. You will then be handed over to the proper authorities. This assembly is dismissed. The Board rules in favour of Spock and Cadet Kirk's admittance." Short, quick, to the point without so much as a reply from Jim. Everyone began to file out, more talking and gossip happening around him.

Two Starfleet guards approached him, taking either of his flanks and placing Jim under arrest. He didn't fight it, knowing he couldn't escape with so many people around, and allowed them to bend him forward and lock his hands in cuffs.

Pushing him, they escorted Jim along. He saw for a moment Bones look at him with pity and confusion, but both understood there wasn't anything the doctor could do for him. Then they were brought to a halt when two people stepped in front of them. Jim looked up and saw Uhura and Captain Pike glaring at him.

Uhura delivered a hard smack to his face. "I trusted you." She whispered, storming off and confirming exactly how he'd been caught. Pike didn't follow after her, his reason apparently different. He only stood there, looking down on him. He was silent for many seconds.

"I asked you to walk out of here a better man than when you went in." Pike said quietly. "That's all I asked of you." His figure was stiff and formal, disappointed and angry. Jim couldn't blame him and watched him step aside as the guards led him away. Jim turned back for a moment to look at him, but found Captain Pike's back walking away in the other direction towards Spock.

The two then disappeared from view when the guards forced him out and around a corner.

…

A/N – Poor Jim. He should have known. Now how will he finish his mission?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N – Thank you for giving me 100+ reviews! I am so thankful!

…

Ayel confirmed the coordinates on his consol. Slowly, he and the rest of the crew were regaining their strength from the mal-nourished and horrible conditions of the Klingon prison, Rura Penthe. He too was still thin, but didn't let his body interfere with his work. Looking into the data, he turned to face his Captain, his dear friend and smiled.

"We've arrived at the coordinates, Captain." Ayel said. "Spock should be arriving here soon."

Nero, the tip of his right ear missing, sat in his command chair watching the view screen. His eyes were black, focused, and darkened with the years they'd been waiting for Spock's return. "Then we wait." Nero said into the Bridge silence. Twenty-five years they'd waited, a few more days would not make a difference. They were all tired, lonely, and most of the crew wanted to simply go back to Romulus, but Ayel knew Nero would never allow that. Ayel himself wouldn't allow it, not without Jim.

When they had managed to escape Rura Penthe and take back heir ship, it had been a great feeling of accomplishment, but once they had fallen into the vacuum of space and made their way to the predicted coordinates of Spock's return, there was much time to reflect. The _Narada_ felt empty with Jim gone, and Ayel wanted him back. If all went according to plan, soon he would be and they could be a family again.

Slowly, their wait was ending and soon the heart of their strategies would begin. Ayel only hoped Jim was ready. There was no way to establish contact between them, so the only data he could go on was his illogical hope that Jim had performed his duties. _Soon, Jim, soon we'll be reunited. Soon._

An alert blared at Ayel's station. His thoughts were taken away from Jim and brought back to the present. He looked over the data to confirm what was going on when the view screen lit up with brilliant flashes of lightening. Everyone on the Bridge turned to face the screen and looked on with awe.

Nero smiled. "Welcome back, Spock." He said lowly as a small vessel emerged from the pit of a spiraling, lightening filled black hole. Everyone who saw it cheered for their success, all except the Romulan Commander.

Spock was earlier than they had predicted.

Jim wasn't with them yet. Ayel turned to Nero who gave him a hard glance back. Ayel knew what he had to do, capture Spock, but there was no amount of delays he could make or orders he could defy to give them more time to retrieve his nephew. Ayel was faced with a harsh reality:

To Nero, Jim was expendable.

To Ayel, Jim was the world.

…

Jim had sat in the holding room for a week. Waiting for his discharge, but Federation policies always took their damn time. He'd be lucky to be out in six months! As he sat there, all Jim could think about was how much of a failure he was. He'd exposed himself. Jim mentally kicked himself knowing he should have listened to Bones. He'd been blinded by his pride as a Romulan to trump these fools and managed to only make a fool of himself. And there was no hope now. Graduation would be taking place tomorrow, Spock would ultimately get away, and Jim would be a prisoned failure.

The laughing face of his father Nero entered into his mind. Mocking him, beating him, telling him how disappointed he was. Nero was right. Right to have treated him so harshly. He _was_ a failure. He was about as much Romulan as he was Human, only half and half as worthless.

Jim lied in the small cot, looking out passed the electrical shield that kept him inside the holding cell. Never again would he be free, and once the pills moved out of his system, they'd all discover him as a Romulan and persecute him without justice. Spock would get further and further away—and a future him would suffer his same fate.

No Romulus.

No mother.

No father's love.

Jim turned in the cot to face the wall. He stared at it blankly, hoping to maybe fall asleep, when a knock was heard behind him.

"Go away." Jim practically moaned. The knock happened again. "I said, go away." Still no answer, so Jim turned to see who the hell was bothering him now. His eyes went wide when he saw Spock of Vulcan behind the shield. His eyes narrowed and he hissed.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Sufficient time has passed for the both of us to reflect, and before I took my commission aboard the _Enterprise_, I wished to speak with you."

Jim huffed and sat up. "What? Are you not satisfied you finally discovered the identity of Kobayashi Alternative? Do you want to rub it in my face? Possibly slander me some more with your emotionless Vulcanism?" Spock didn't reply, his figure stiffening as he placed his hands behind his back.

"I came with a personal query." Jim waved his question off, turning away from him to stare at the floor. Here was Spock, he could kill him right now, but the shield would prevent him. He'd know since he'd already tried to escape and they upped the wattage on the electrical field. "I wished to know," he said coolly, "why Kobayashi Alternative? Why hack into the academy mainframe? Why single my person out among many? The data does not make sense and I wish to know the illogic behind it."

Jim didn't speak, didn't look at him, only grunted. "You wouldn't understand, Vulcan." Jim said under his breath. "And you _will never_ understand."

All was quiet. So long that Jim thought he had walked away until he heard his voice again. "Help me to understand." Jim looked up, Spock staring at him beyond the shield. "You are by far the most intelligent being I have encountered. You are no fool, James Kirk. Surely, the reasoning for your actions must stem from a source of logic."

Jim shook his head and laughed to himself. "Sure it does. Much logic." _Eat out of my hands, you dick._ "But, listen, what I said to you was true," not, "I really like your intelligence. You're quite a guy, really, and I trust you won't judge me based on my reasons, if our previous conversations are anything to go by." He looked up with bright eyes and smiled weakly at the Vulcan to stimulate something inside him. "I'll tell you my reasons, _only_ _you_, but only if you come in here and sit with me. Bring a chess board if you'd like, because it'll be a long talk and we'll get bored." Spock appeared to be considering this, but Jim was only thinking of various ways he could kill this Vulcan with a chess board. Now was the time. He could fix everything, if only Spock would come inside pass the shield and let his guard down. He'd kill him. Right here. _Right in this holding cell_.

"Your terms are agreeable." Spock told him. Jim smiled for a different reason than the Vulcan thought. "I would be honoured to play a match with you in person."

"Great." Jim told him and began clearing off his cot as if to make space for their game. "I'll be here when you get back." Spock nodded to the statement, completely ignorant to the fact he'd just sealed his fate, and turned on his heels to go and fetch a chess board—when suddenly an officer came running into the holding cell area, looking out of breath and calling Spock's title.

"Commander Spock!" The Vulcan stopped and straightened himself for the officer. Jim could see them just off the side of his cell. He watched curiously. The officer tried to regain his breath. "Sir, Admiral Barnett just gave the order for all hands to report to their stations immediately! Everyone is being stationed to their ships as we speak. Cadets are waiting for you to give them their assigned ships and Captain Pike told me to tell you to meet him on the Bridge of the _Enterprise_ as soon as possible."

Spock moderately looked alarmed, but it was subtle and only visible through his eyes. "What is the nature of this emergency?"

The officer looked pained and worried. He paused for only a second. "We just received a distress call from Vulcan. All starships are being moved out to assist, but no other information has been given." Jim saw it, Spock faltered, as if he was experiencing fear.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Spock said quickly, like he was trying to keep himself under control. The officer nodded and ran off down the hall to probably tell others. Spock turned to him in his cell; it was like an entirely different Vulcan was speaking to him. "I am most apologetic, Mr. Kirk, but I must attend to my duties." He gave no time for a reply as he walked off quickly to the exit. Jim rushed up to the shield and watched him leave on quick heels. Damnit! And he'd been so close!

Jim began pacing through the cell and reflected on what the officer had told Spock. Vulcan was in distress, that sounded almost like—no! It was too early for that! Had his father's plans already begun to be set in motion? Without _him_? And Spock was still _alive!_ If Nero saw him, there'd be no way he'd take him back to the _Narada._ He needed to get out of the holding cell, somehow get on to this _Enterprise_ ship and get the job done before it was too late.

Damn it all to hell!

Blurs of uniform colour were moving about the academy campus to the shuttle docks. Few passed by the holding areas as people were informed of the emergency. Using this as a distraction, Jim tried once again to break free from his cell. From throwing his cot at it, to trying to reach wires through tiny holes in the shield, all ended in failure. He couldn't give up! And Jim wouldn't as he kept trying new methods, thinking of what he could use from his cell to help his escape.

A door swished open to alert Jim someone was coming. He didn't bother to look to see who it was while he frantically tried to form another escape plan, until he heard a familiar voice.

"You can't come in here." The guard told whoever it was.

"Yes I can." _Bones_. Jim looked up hurriedly and saw Bones standing by his cell with the guard on duty. "I thought Jim had it on him, but he doesn't and he needs to take the medication for his allergies." That… that was a lie… but who cared? Jim was only thankful to see his good friend.

"Allergies? There's been no note of any allergies within his cell that could cause him harm." Bones stared daggers into him and held up a bottle—it was Jim's DNA pill bottle. Shit.

"Jim was raised on a slave ship and hasn't built up the proper earth immunities. He can start having the worst symptoms when he hasn't had his medication. Have you ever started _bleeding_ through your _eyes_ and felt your _teeth_ fill with _puss_? Have you ever experienced a _burning_ _pain_ under your _skin_ and began _peeling_ like a banana except it's your _flesh?_" The guard looked damn near horrified. "That's what'll happen if Jim doesn't take his medicine. Now are you gonna let me give it to him or not?" The guard looked between him and Jim. "Damnit, man, there's an emergency and I have a ship to catch! I need to give this to him now!" Without anyone around to confirm orders, he wasn't a doctor or medical professional and the fact that there _was_ a real emergency, the guard gave in and dropped the shield into Jim's cell. Bones entered quickly and approached him within whispering range.

"Where the _hell_ did you find my _pills?_" Jim asked hushed, taking his bottle from the doctor and hiding it under his uniform.

"Shut it, Jim, I'm breaking you out."

"_What?_" Bones rustled through his sleeves and pulled out a pill that looked nothing like the small ones he'd been taking for years.

"Take this." He ordered without preamble.

"What it is?"

"Damnit, just fucking take it!"

Jim recoiled. "No, I don't know what it is!" Bones looked exasperated and grumbled. The guard called for him to hurry up.

"Listen," Bones then said and held out the pill in the palm of his hand, "do you trust me?" Jim studied him.

"Bones, this isn't a time for your reverse psychology—"

"Do you trust me, yes or no?" Bones demanded, still holding out the pill. Jim looked at the tiny pill in his hand then looked at Bones. His friend looked angry, but that was normal for him. His eyes gave away his true feelings, giving away a sort of pleading look he'd seen before he'd been arrested. The fact was, Jim _did_ trust him, and trusting him now was better than rotting in a holding cell. And Bones was Jim's friend. Best friend. Here the guy was, risking everything to come to him. That wasn't just trust, that was _love_.

"Yes. I trust you." Jim told him and took the pill from his hand. "I trust you." He took it in one gulp and closed his eyes as if expecting poison.

"Are you finished?" The guard demanded.

"Just a second!" Bones called out, then turned his attention back to Jim. "Forgive me, Jim, but listen closely: you're about to experience a world of hell. You're going to go blind in your left eye, get the worst headache of your life, and get a flopsweat."

Panic was what he felt but just as Jim was about to say something, the onset of whatever the pill was set in. His vision blurred and he lost it in his left eye, and then came the headache.

"_Bones!_ Shit!" Jim moaned and toppled, feeling his legs buckle underneath him. He collapsed, McCoy catching him. The guard decided that moment to enter and his voice was loud to Jim, making his ears ring horribly.

"What in the hell is going on?"

Bones snarled at him. "_This_ is what happens when Jim doesn't get his medication for days! He's having a severe reaction! I need to get him to Medical immediately!" The guard looked him over and Jim nearly collapsed, his head feeling full and his body feeling like it was on fire. He began to sweat and had the urge to remove his clothes.

Whether or not Bones needed to lie anymore didn't matter because the next thing he could comprehend, he was moving about through the campus and towards the shuttle docks. His mind was a jumbled mess and he felt _horrible_. "I fucking hate you so much!" Jim wailed, the urge to vomit persisting. "Oh god, I might throw up on you!"

"Just relax, Jim, and try not to talk much." Bones told him while pulling him along. The shuttle dock must have been far away because it felt like their walk had lasted forever. All around him personnel were flitting about, making last minute changes and readying the shuttles. It was like organized chaos.

McCoy, however, could comprehend it all since he hadn't been the one to take the pill form of a Melvaran Mud Flea vaccine. The thing was, he wouldn't have even bothered spending the last few days making the damn pill if Cadet McStupid hadn't already been taking out-of-date medications. He'd actually discovered them a year ago but hadn't found the right time to ask about what they were. McCoy always had his suspicions, but threw most of them out the window. Jim was his best friend, and he respected his privacy. Jim would tell him what they were when the time was right. Until then, Bones gave him the benefit of the doubt and knew upon hearing the emergency call from Vulcan he wasn't leaving his best friend planetside.

If they were caught, it was discharge for them both, but what did McCoy have to lose? Jim was already in the process of being discharged and McCoy had had a warrant for his arrest before enlisting. If anything, they were up the same creek without a paddle. _Go up together, go down together,_ Bones told himself, trying his best not to upset his friend's weak stomach at the moment.

"Bones," Jim moaned, flopping around on his buckled knees. McCoy kept urging him towards the shuttle docks.

"What?"

"I'm tasting colours… and shapes…"

It wasn't funny, but Jim was so fucked up he probably didn't even realize he'd laughed. "We're almost there, Jim. Just relax."

Jim moaned a few more times and buckled in his grip. "I'm beginning to regret trusting you…" Hearing his own phrase back at himself made the doctor smile as he hustled Jim's arm up over his shoulder to help him better.

"Welcome to my world, buddy."

The world was spinning, and Jim couldn't make heads or tails of anything his one working eye could see. He saw the shuttle dock, saw a shuttle and heard loud scratching noises that were Bones' and some scanning officer's voices, but they'd stopped moving for now. A doorway sat in front of him, but they weren't allowed through. Jim looked up and peered blurredly at the scanning officer. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard the officer say Jim wasn't allowed for duty, but that was stupid. Jim wasn't asking for duty… actually… he wanted a bucket and fast.

"I'm gonna throw up…" Jim groaned, but gentle warm hands brought him to the safety of his friend's breast. McCoy held him and it was so nice and safe. It reminded him of Ayel and Jim folded into it, basking in its warmth and security. He could hear Bones' voice rumble in his chest, he was angry, Jim thought, but it didn't matter. Jim was safe. Bones would protect him. All fell into darkness.

Then they were moving again, but not as quickly as before. He felt weightless. His coherency came back moderately to tell him he was relaxing in strong arms with the ceiling above him going by slowly. McCoy was carrying him. That was all he remembered before his eyes slid shut and blackness enveloped him once again.

McCoy grunted as he carried Jim from the shuttle through the docks of the _USS Enterprise_. The kid was heavy and McCoy made a mental note to tell Jim to go on a diet as soon as this whole emergency was sorted out.

He took to the deep corridors of the ship in hopes no one would question him taking an unconscious civilian to Sickbay. He managed to get a few strange looks, but they didn't bother him. Soon the symptoms of the vaccine would be over and Jim could help himself without bringing much attention to them.

As he carried him, McCoy thought about his plan. He actually didn't know why he wanted to bring Jim along, let alone how he was going to explain himself should they be caught. Medical excuses could only get you so far. But, had he warped out into space without his dear companion, the one who risked his life to save him from his own drunken stupor, McCoy knew what would have been waiting for Jim. Discharge was only the first step. Next he'd be handed over to San Francisco authorities and they would have had him transferred to some camp for rehabilitation—stripping Jim of all his hope for humanity and render him a vegetable. He couldn't allow that to happen.

So that's where Bones was now. Risking his new career for the sake of his friend. Somehow, he'd keep Jim hidden in the belly of the _Enterprise_ and devise a way for him to steal a shuttle and let him escape to a new life where Starfleet couldn't harm him. Jim was used to these settings, being raised in a slave ring, and could pilot himself somewhere safe. Perhaps to Andarius IV, the neutral planet. He'd be safe there.

Bones looked down into the somber face of the sleeping idiot in his arms and smiled. Yes, Jim would be safe.

…

The Vulcan Commander paced himself through the _Enterprise_ dressed in his new blue science uniform. As promised, Spock was now the First Officer to Captain Pike while still maintaining his duties as Chief Science Officer. Pike expected him on the Bridge and would no doubt give him more details about this emergency, so he kept his pace for the nearest turbolift. What was happening to Vulcan?

"Mr. Spock!" The Vulcan paused before entering the turbolift and turned to see Captain Pike making his way through the crowds of officers towards him. Spock waited and Captain Pike arrived, going together as one into the turbolift. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he continued on their descent up, "where have you been? I couldn't reach you in your office or by your communicator."

"I had gone to the holding cells to speak with Mr. Kirk. My apologies that I was not within contacting range." Spock told him. Pike glared at him.

"Why did you go see him? Didn't we already discuss that you were to return to your duties and keep away from him?"

Spock nodded. "Yes, Captain, however, I had a personal query and wished to discover the reasons behind Mr. Kirk's actions."

Pike rolled his eyes. "He's a troubled kid that I, unfortunately, trusted _not_ to be crazy. He may be intelligent, but something's not quite right about a boy that purposely hides his attributes and uses them against the people that are trying to help him."

Spock stiffened. "A starved dog can not be expected to trust the hand that offers his first meal." Pike turned to him.

"Are you trying to justify his actions?"

Spock shook his head. "No. I am merely giving you a different perspective into the workings of this man. When I spoke with him via prompts, he was a most sincere character. Intelligent. Brave. Illogical but logical. I feel we may have rushed too soon to judge his actions." Spock said.

"You didn't seem to think that when you brought me evidence that he was Kobayashi Alternative. Why the change of heart?" Spock didn't answer right away like he wanted to. He breathed deeply and hesitated. The reasons for his actions were illogical and had no basis. Spock was only going on a _feeling_ he had within his body. Like James Kirk was someone important, like the missing piece to a puzzle. How to explain this to Chris without showing a more Human side to his personality?

"I lack the appropriate evidence to explain my findings at the moment." It was a default answer, Spock knew, and Chris probably knew that too, but didn't comment any further. Nothing more was said and the turbolift continued until it opened to the Bridge.

It was new, unused, and breathtakingly beautiful. Captain Pike and Commander Spock went their separate ways to begin the emergency mission. In a way, it baffled Pike to witness Spock's reactions over Kirk when the sudden problem had everything to do with his home planet of Vulcan. It should have worried him, but the emergency was too great for him to bother with it. Jim Kirk was isolated in a holding cell and would be transported before they got back, he was sure. The mission would hopefully give the Vulcan enough time to forget about him.

He turned to his Vulcan friend and watched as he worked his science console with no difficulty. Had three years changed the Vulcan he knew? No, he told himself, Jim Kirk had changed the Vulcan he knew, but was it for better or for worse? Only time would tell.

"Captain," Spock began in his most controlled voice, "engineering reports ready for launch."

"Thank you. Mr. Spock." Pike said then looked around at the new and young faces of his crew. This was the _Enterprise_'s maiden voyage. He'd wanted a real celebration to christen it, but due to circumstances, he was left with only the option to bring her home safely. He told this to his crew, all of them nodding their heads in understanding. Then, Pike opened up the intercom and informed all those aboard to be ready for departure. For some, this would be no different from any other warp, but for a majority, this would be their first time in space. It was good to warn them to prepare for it.

Turning to the helm, Pike looked over the two young men stationed there—far too young to be prepared for such an emergency, but to lighten the mood, he smiled and ordered for a course to Vulcan.

The youngest, curl-haired boy on the right acknowledged and the Asian looking man beside him initiated the controls. They looked stiff, worried, and not at all prepared. Pike really couldn't blame them. First times were always the most difficult to adjust to. He remembered his own and decided he would share much patience with them. This was his crew, after all, and in order to establish trust, he needed to show he understood them and expected only the most they could give.

Unintentionally, his thoughts fell back to Jim Kirk. He'd only expected the most Kirk could give as well, and it was a shame to him to be on the Bridge without the young boy with him… but Jim had set his own path. It was a shame. Pike felt a guilty to still be so angry over it, but lost the thoughts when the _Enterprise_ suddenly stalled.

Captain Pike looked to the view screen and saw that the other starships had warped away, they were the only ones left in dock. Quickly, Pike looked to his helmsman. The young Asian was flitting about the controls.

"Is there a problem?" Pike asked, smiling to show he wasn't upset.

The young man smiled weakly back. "I'm not too sure what's wrong here… I'll figure it out, Sir." He was obviously nervous. Pike laughed to himself.

"Is the parking brake on?" He asked, knowing from his own first time that no matter how much you knew, sometimes the problem was caused by something small. The Lieutenant shook his head.

"No, Sir, I'll fix this." A few more seconds went by, the entire Bridge now focusing on the small, now terrified, pilot.

"Take your time, Lieutenant. It's _only_ an emergency." Of course, Pike was only fucking with him. The sooner he got over the fear of his first mission, the sooner the boy could live up to whatever reputation he used to become the main pilot of the _Enterprise_.

Spock turned in his station chair, not amused, but neither angry. "Have you disengaged the External Inertial Dampener?" His tone was even and anxious, Pike thought, and it was good to finally see more reaction about Vulcan from him than what he'd seen before. It was apparent Spock had just finished reading the emergency mission data.

The pilot moved about the controls and inwardly tried to hide his face from view. The controls blipped and he nodded with an unsteady voice. "Ready for warp, Captain."

Pike grinned. The External Inertial Dampener _was_ the parking brake. "Good. Then let's punch it. Maximum warp." In the blink of an eye, the starship lit to life as warp was enabled, blasting them through the vacuum of space to Vulcan.

…

It would only be a few more minutes until they arrived at Vulcan. Now with everyone adjusted, Pike decided it was time to inform the crew of the emergency situation. He turned to Spock, about to tell him to make the broadcast when he thought better of it. Looking at his dear Vulcan friend, he was enclosed in his duties, looking over the data and re-reading the mission data again, lingering on certain details. Though the Vulcan wasn't going to show it, Pike knew Spock was just as worried as the rest of them. Perhaps someone of less connection to Vulcan should give the broadcast.

He peered around the Bridge and stopped on the youngest helmsman. The boy was cuter than a button and would probably help everyone take the news better when looking at such an adorable face. He prompted him quickly with an easy smile. "Ensign," he started, "aren't you that whiz-kid boy? From Russia?" The boy turned around with the brightest eyes and security in his abilities.

"Yes, Sair," he said with a strong Russian accent, "I am Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov." That was a mouthful.

"Chekov," he tried it out, "would you mind briefing the crew of our mission?" The boy's eyes lit up brighter if they could, full of excitement and privilege. He took the order with quick nods and a young spirit.

Out of the corner of his eye, Pike could see Spock had heard the order and was now looking at him curiously. Ensign Chekov began initiating the ship-wide intercom, and Pike glanced away from his Vulcan friend. It was for Spock's own good, though he was sure Mr. Spock would mention something about it later. Pike would play it up and say he was only letting the newbs wet their feet.

He sat in the command chair and awaited the announcement, laughing once again to himself when the poor Russian boy's accent kept him from entering into the voice-only data mainframe. After the academy's bouts with Kobayashi Alternative, Admiral Barnett made a personal request to Starfleet Headquarters to have all starships available to only have voice-over controls with a select few knowing how to manually access it. Smart for their problem, but terrible for anyone who's first language wasn't standard. Eventually, poor Chekov was allowed in and the broadcast initiated over the entire ship.

"Your attenshun, plees." Chekov began. "At twenty-two hundred hours, telemetry deteckted an anomly en thee Neutral Zone. It appeared to be a lightening storm en space.

"Soon after, Starfleet received a distress signal frum thee Wulcan High Council that their planeet was experiencing seismic actiwity. We then lost contackt with Wulcan entirely." The boy paused to scroll the data once more.

"Our misshun es to assess thee condishun of Wulcan and assist en ewacuashuns, if necessary. Approximate estimashun until arriwal to Wulcan es twenty minutes."

In the deepest part of the Sickbay unit, covered by medical screens and hidden from view, Jim Kirk forced himself to sit up on what felt like a terribly hard medical bed. He blearily looked around, trying to focus on the words he'd just heard. Where was he? On a ship? Looking at his surroundings, it was true. But what ship?

Bones came up beside him, nearly giving him a panic attack. "Where the hell are we?" He demanded, only remembering trusting Bones and how fucked up that made him.

"Quiet!" Bones whispered, making sure the screen was closed around them. "I smuggled you on board the _Enterprise_. We're en route to Vulcan right now."

"Vulcan?" Jim asked, his thoughts racing. What he heard… was it true? "Does that mean…? That announcement, lightening storm, we're heading towards it?" Bones didn't look to have any idea what Jim was trying to say but nodded to him.

"We'll be there in less than twenty minutes."

Jim's mind buzzed to life, returning from whatever fucked up world McCoy had placed him in as he put the pieces together. As far as he knew, Spock was still alive, he was on the supposed starship the Vulcan had been assigned to and now—Bones. Bones was here and they were currently heading to Vulcan—_where my father has already begun his plans!_ But he wasn't sure, maybe it was just natural activity and quakes. He had to be sure! If his father's plans were started, then they could end up warping into a battle and Ayel wouldn't know he was on this ship. As much as he wouldn't mind dying if it meant Spock would be killed too, he didn't want to die yet if he could help it. Not to mention, he looked at his dear friend scanning him with a medical tricorder now, Bones was here and Jim didn't want to see him dead either.

He needed to make sure, and if necessary, stop the ship before they were blown to pieces. But how to do this? Jim reached his hand up to his mouth, something he did when he was in deep thought when he came to a halt.

His hands were the size of dinner plates. "What the _fuck!_" His doctor friend had been so focused on his tricorder he hadn't noticed Jim's hands until his profanity was shouted. His brown eyes went wide as he checked the tricorder again. "What the hell did you do to me!"

Bones remained calm, not really, he was panicking, but it would be okay. "You're experiencing a _real_ allergic reaction to the vaccine I gave you."

"_Real?_" Jim asked, his hands feeling so damn full and sore.

"That's how I got you on the ship," he told him, now looking around for a medikit. "I lied and said you were having an allergic reaction to not having your medication for days and you were under my personal care. It looks like karma's a real bitch and decided to make it partly true." He pulled up a hypo from some kit and went to give it to Jim, but the blonde stopped him. There wasn't enough time for this; he needed to verify what was going on near Vulcan and fast! His and Bones' lives were depending on it!

Jim got off the bed, though it was more like falling since his legs still felt buckled, as he ran from the cover of the screen and out into Sickbay. Bones was quick after him.

"Where are you going!" Bones demanded.

"I have to find Uhura!" He shouted back, picking up his pace as his legs came back. Officers were turning to the small scene he and Bones were causing as Jim fled around to find the nearest terminal. There wasn't one in Sickbay, so he ran out into the halls.

"Jim!" Bones called after him, falling behind terribly. "You need to slow down! Your heart rate is too fast! If you keep this up, you're gonna die!" Jim ignored him, knowing if he didn't confirm his theories soon, they'd all be dead, so it didn't matter.

Finally, he managed to find a terminal and immediately tried to access it. Quickly, he discovered it was voice-over only and he wasn't listed on duty. Damnit! He immediately began trying to break into it manually, but found he couldn't. The terminal was on lock-down. Somehow he knew this was Starfleet laughing at him. Bones caught up quick, throwing his tricorder over him again.

"Damnit, Jim! I _smuggled_ you aboard! We need to keep a low profile or we're screwed! Now hold still!" A sharp pain ignited over Jim's neck, making him curse out loud. When Bones retracted the used hypo, he took Jim's upper arm and began tugging him back towards Sickbay. "Now, we need to get you back undercover or we'll be spending this mission in the brig!"

"No!" Jim fought, pulling away and running back to the terminal. He needed to locate Uhura, he knew the computer would tell him if only he could access it. He threw his fingers over the keys, trying to bypass the security but knew it would take longer than the amount of time they had.

"Jim!" Bones berated, pulling on him again. "What the hell has gotten into you!" Nothing Jim was doing was working. Time was running out. He looked up to Bones with pitiful, urgent blue eyes. "Bones, access this terminal and order it to locate Uhura."

Bones shook his head. "No, Jim. We need to get you back to Sickbay, monitor your symptoms until they decrease and keep you hidden from sight." Jim didn't want to argue with him, but did anyway. This was crucial. They argued back and forth, McCoy trying to tug him away but Jim staying put until finally Jim grasped his friend's head with his thick palms to make him focus on Jim's face.

"Do you want to _die?_ Then I suggest to tell this fucking machine to locate Uhura right now!" Bones faltered, looking over Jim's serious, escalating condition. He looked at the blonde's hands, then grumbled to himself, knowing there was no other choice.

He activated the terminal and ordered it to look for Uhura. "She's on deck six," he told him, "and you better have a damn good excuse, Jim, because if we're caught—" He turned, but Jim was already gone. Bones frantically looked around. This _wasn't_ how smuggling was supposed to be. "Damnit, Jim!" He cursed and ran off towards the turbolift, knowing that's probably where the idiot was heading.

Jim ran through many officers, some recognizing him and only stopping in puzzlement to stare. It must have been so strange to see him running around like a hooligan through the ship in nothing but Starfleet issued blacks and enlarged hands. He only stopped once to gauge where he was, then continued, hearing Bones shout for him in the distance. By the time the doctor reached him, it was too late, and Jim threw himself into the nearest turbolift and ordered it to deck six. The doors swooshed around him snuggly, Bones barely making it in there in time.

The doctor slunked against the wall and shot dirty looks at Jim. He was out of breath and _very_ angry. "You have so much explaining to do…" Bones breathed through clenched teeth. Jim nodded but didn't reply, darting out of the turbolift the moment the doors opened. Bones, unfortunately, fell behind again.

Passing more cadets, Jim pushed his way through the deck looking for Uhura. With so many redshirts floating about, it was hard to locate her, until he saw in the distance the very woman he was looking for monitoring a frequency station. He rushed to her and spun her around from the controls. Her eyes stared up into his widely. Jim smiled.

"Tabitha!" He said cheerily with a smile. A hard hand struck his face terribly hard. "I deserved that," Jim muttered under his breath.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She demanded. "You fucking backstabber!" She shoved him back and he tumbled briefly, colliding into another officer. Then using all her might, she came forward and took him by the front of his shirt, tossing him around and throwing his back against the wall with her mighty, unHumanly, strength.

"I deserved that too," he muttered again, trying to clear his head, but Uhura paid his injuries no mind. She was seething with anger. This man, whom she thought was her friend, had set her up to be assumed as Kobayashi Alternative. It was still fresh in her mind when Mr. Spock came to question her, taking her dataPADD to provide evidence she was the infamous academy hacker! It was only then she realized who had done such a thing to her. Kirk had been the only other person with access to her data device and gave that information to Mr. Spock who quickly concurred he had discovered the source of Kobayashi Alternative. How _dare_ he try to set her up! She had _trusted_ him!

She was about to strike him again when a thick hand stopped her at her wrist. The sudden engulf of a large extremity caused her to pause and observe the strange hand. Immediately she pulled away, disgusted.

"What happened to your hands!"

"Doesn't matter," Jim countered, "Uhura, I need you to tell me _exactly_ what you heard when you intercepted that message days ago. The one about the Klingon prison. I need to know who escaped and what ship was stolen." It was a long stretch, and chances were it had nothing to do with his father or uncle, but if there was any connection between the two, this would be the only source of information he could confirm his theory on.

Jim had always worried about the _Narada_ and its crew when they sat waiting for Ambassador Spock's return. It placed them in Klingon space, and every day was one more drill should the Klingons discover them and apprehend them. After twenty five years, it was to be expected the ship would have finally been caught by the Klingons, so it was almost safe to assume the people who escaped where his family and the ship they stole was his home, the _Narada_.

It was desperate, he knew, and stupid, but Jim couldn't bear to see his best friend die because he was too stupid to have warned him. Not to mention, Jim wanted to see his uncle one last time. If he could have that, Nero could blow this ship up a thousand times if he wanted.

Jim grasped Uhura's shoulders, trying desperately to convey the seriousness of his order. "I need to know if the ship was womunnn…"

She peered at him confused beyond compare. "What? If the ship was what?"

"Wommmunlanm." Jim said again, but this time heard himself and stopped, choking on a thick, absent feeling in his mouth. He tried again. "Womunnlanmnnn." Okay, still didn't make any bit of sense. What was happening?

As if all the answers were written on his friend's face, Jim turned to McCoy who at some point had come up behind him and still looked at pissed as angry hornets. The doctor was rummaging through a medical bag he'd gotten from _somewhere_. "Waffs wong wiff mah ton!" He demanded the doctor. McCoy looked up, clear anxiety taking over his desperate eyes.

"You got numb tongue?"

Jim seethed and thrashed a little about. "Num ton! _Num ton!_ Waff ta hal iff _num ton!_" Ignoring Jim's incoherency, McCoy kept looking for an antidote in his medical kit. Jim, knowing time was running out, threw his attentions back to Uhura. He'd just have to sound it out the best he could. Uhura appeared terrified.

"Womuwan."

"Wombat?"

"WOM-MU-WAN." He shook her slightly.

"Woman?"

"Womuwan! Wamuwan!"

"Wrench?" Jim stopped and turned his eyes into seething slits of rage. Staring at her hard and unmoving. This woman knew about 300 languages and couldn't comprehend his absent-tongue standard? Was that irony or just bad luck?

He relaxed himself and tried one last time, looking at her urgently. "Wom-mew-LAN." Uhura stared at him, like she was trying to put the pieces together, then blinked up at him uncertain.

"Romulan?" Thank the gods! Jim smiled, cheering at her.

"Yeff, Tabiffa! Yeff!"

"Yes," She replied, showing equal happiness though no one knew why, "yes, the stolen ship was Romulan!" That was all Jim needed to know, his theories now confirmed. Before he could celebrate, however, another ignition of pain welled over his throat, making Jim turn to face the enemy hypo in the doctor's hands.

"Fuckthing thop it!"

…

A/N – It's a trap! 8D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N – Thank you so much for all the kind and encouraging reviews! I read each and every one! Thank you for taking the time to give me your thoughts and reactions! 8D

…

Now that Jim knew the stolen ship was Romulan, he had every reason to believe what he thought was true. They were warping into a battle, his father Nero and Uncle already beginning the plans they devised since before his birth. But why without him? Hadn't part of their big plan included retrieving him from the Federation so he could also watch Ambassador Spock suffer? As he dashed through the corridors, trying to find his way to the Bridge to warn the Captain, he came to the logical conclusion that the time predicted for Spock's arrival must have been earlier than suspected. That's the only reason he could fathom for their early attack.

If he got there in time, stopped the ship in time, while the _Enterprise_ was preparing for battle, he could find a discreet way to contact Ayel and let him know he was alive. Then his uncle could beam him and McCoy aboard to safety while the battle raged on.

The only thing was, Jim had to act as though he was saving the ship, not about to turn his back on it. His mind raced for excuses and facts he could use in his benefit to make it seem he was a hero and not at all a Starfleet traitor. He was going to have to try and make the Captain believe him and that was—

Jim burst out unto the Bridge, all eyes looking at the intruder. A bewildered set he recognized settled on him: the Captain was Pike.

—going to be _very_ hard.

Captain Pike stood up so quickly, Jim nearly missed it. Jim's steps faltered, surprised to see Pike was the Captain of this vessel, and he gulp down something thick in his throat. The Bridge went silent, all knowing that unauthorized access to the Bridge was punishable by discharge, but that didn't bother Jim since he was already in the process of being discharged. That didn't mean the same for McCoy and Uhura who had followed after him, though.

Pike stared down at him from the elevated platform, boring holes into his head as Jim reluctantly backed up a step. "How the _hell_ did you get on this ship?" Pike demanded, slowly, angry, looking at Jim square in his eyes. For a moment, Jim found he had nothing to say. He hadn't thought that _Pike_ was going to be the Captain of the ship.

When Jim said nothing, Bones stepped up for him. "Kirk is suffering from a severe reaction to a vaccine; he's under my medical supervision and is my responsibility." The Captain glared at McCoy, and that set Jim off. _No one_ looked at his best friend that way.

"He's not important," Jim interrupted, "it's my fault he burst out onto the bridge."

"Jim!" Bones warned, surprised. Pike turned his attention back to Jim and studied him angrily, but clearly controlling it.

"Haven't you gotten enough attention for one day?" He demanded of Kirk. "Or was the holding cell child's play to you and now you'd rather test your abilities on a starship?"

Pike had every right to be angry with him, Jim knew, and tried to calm himself into a compromise mode. Time was running out. "I understand you're upset with me, Captain, but the reason I'm here is not to offend or piss you off any more than I already have. I came to tell you that—" His voice felt caught. Would he really give his family away to save Bones? Was his very first friendship that important to him? Jim turned and looked at his friend, giving him a look that he couldn't translate well. Ayel had taught him the wonders of friendship, the special bond it created between the two people, much like his uncle and father's friendship. For three years Jim had tasted the beautiful connection that comes with love and trust, could he really stand to lose that?

Fierce blue eyes traded McCoy for Pike. "I came to tell you that Vulcan isn't experiencing natural disasters. Vulcan is under _attack_." Everyone was now looking at him, staring in awe at the strange story.

"By whom?" Pike asked, steadying his stance to size him up.

Jim bit his lip. "By Romulans." He finally admitted, unwillingly. He kept telling himself it didn't matter, they still thought he was on _their_ side and wasn't about to pull a 180 on them. They didn't know.

Mr. Spock stood from his station, looking Jim over carefully. Jim allowed him to, keeping his head held high to make sure the Vulcan couldn't see through his attempt. Spock came forward to them, taking up one of Pike's flanks as his right hand officer. His eyes looked dim, serious, and curious. "Based on what facts have you come to this conclusion, Mr. Kirk?" Jim might have been imagining it, but the Vulcan's voice almost sounded relieved, in a weird way.

Jim gulped again and decided to tell them part truths to gain their trust again. After discovering he was Kobayashi Alternative, he'd managed to burn his own bridge, but now could begin to make repairs. If they'd let him. To hopefully reach in and grab the curious Vulcan that Kobayashi Alternative had managed to grab, Jim focused on Spock's gaze as he spoke. "The same anomaly, a lightening storm in space, also occurred on the day of my birth before a Romulan ship attacked the _USS Kelvin_, you know, the ship my _father_ piloted to his _death?_" Jim knew about the ship because the entire attack _had_ centred around his birth, before Federation swine attacked their ship and killed his Human mother in the process. It wouldn't have happened had _Spock_ not sent them into another universe, but he'd done well to study the circumstances that surrounded this alien James Kirk's birth and now utilized it for his own benefit. He _was_ supposed to be pretending to be this Human after all.

"The ship, which had formidable and advanced weaponry, was never seen or heard from again. And this attack," Jim said paused to take a needed relaxing breath, "happened on the edge of Klingon space, where it was suspected that the Romulan ship remained. And, at 22:00 hours, eight days ago, there was an escape from a Klingon prison. The prisoners and the ship they stole were both _Romulan_." The look on Pike's face was in stagnate disbelief, while Mr. Spock's looked unchanged, if not a bit suspicious too.

"How would _you_ know of this escape?" Pike asked. Jim stopped and turned to Uhura, looking at her with wide eyes. He had betrayed her, and it could be so easy for her to do the same, to simply tell Pike she didn't know what he was talking about to get back at him. But Uhura wasn't like the rest of these Federation dogs, she was a true individual. An honour to call his friend—_once was_ his friend. Would she betray him? Jim knew it would be the smartest thing she could ever do for her people.

Uhura, instead, took a breath and stepped up beside Jim, Bones taking his other, as if to protect him from the Captain. "I intercepted and translated the transmission myself, Captain. Kirk's report is accurate." What was this feeling inside Jim's heart? Was it pain? He wasn't sure, all he did know was that betraying that woman again was going to hurt a little more now, but not everyone appreciated Uhura's support. Pike still appeared suspicious.

"Even if that was true," he began, "why should I trust you now?" he asked Jim pointedly, with a huff in his voice. "For all we know, _you_ planted that transmission yourself, _Kobayashi_." Jim lowered his head a bit to the derogatory use of his pseudonym. It was best to lay low to the Captain, even if he wanted to lash out against him. Pike still had every reason not to trust him.

"With all respect, Sir," Jim said, "I'm flattered you think so highly of my abilities, but there wouldn't be much point in sending a fake transmission."

Pike stared into him. "Just like there wasn't any reason for you to masquerade around as Kobayashi Alternative? _Surely_, it wasn't to cheat on a notable test." He waved Jim off with his hand. "Spock, remove Mr. Kirk from my Bridge. He's been discharged, meaning he's now a stowaway. Lock him in the brig with full ensemble of precautions. I don't want our hero's son to manage yet _another_ escape."

Jim nearly panicked. "But, sir!" He tried. "We're warping into a trap!" Pike ignored him, walking back towards his command chair while Spock took hold of Jim's shoulders to lead him away. The contact was icy, and Jim pulled himself away. "I don't care if you think I'm lying! At least have everyone at battle stations! You're going to get everybody killed!"

Pike swung around and approached the stowaway, making the blonde choke on unspoken words as the Vulcan stepped to the side to make room for his Captain. "I've heard just about enough from you." He warned deeply, now showing the anger that had been rising in his throat. "You will _not_ give orders on _my_ Bridge." He flicked his eyes to Spock, Jim reading it as another sign for the Vulcan to take Jim away, but before he could touch him again, Jim accelerated after Captain Pike to stall him once more.

"So I cheated on a damn test, big fucking deal! But you're about to make the worst mistake in Starfleet history if you don't get these officers ready for battle!" Pike whirled around again, hand in a striking position.

"The only mistake I've made, Kirk, is allowing your ridiculous tirade to continue!" Jim's eyes went wide as he saw Pike's hand come down to land a harsh hit upon him. He turned his head away to brace for impact—but none ever came. The loud sound of skin striking skin echoed in the now silent Bridge, but Jim felt neither flesh nor heat upon his face. He looked up, confused, and saw a stiff figure in front of him, a blue back protecting him, and the profile view of specific features, a particular black cap of hair, and distinguishingly pointed ears.

Spock had jumped in the way of the blow and had received the contact instead.

The Bridge was in awe.

Pike stared at the figure in front of him, Spock between him and Jim. His hand remained in the air, and he looked at it as if it wasn't his own, then he looked at the Vulcan who pulled his face back to the front. A slight greenish hue began to form on his cheek, and a tiny drop of blood dripped down his lip from where it looked like he bit it. Why had Spock protected him? Why had he gotten in the way?

"Spock," Pike said with his breath, like it was something he couldn't believe. His eyes were wide, staring into the Vulcan like he knew him better than anyone else.

Spock spoke like he hadn't been bitched slapped. "Mr. Kirk is now considered a civilian. Reprimanding him with any physical attack would be illegal in accordance with regulation code 34.2 A, subsection 84d and 14e." Both went silent.

"Is that _really_ why you jumped in the way?" Pike suddenly asked, sounding a bit sad. "Regulations?" Spock didn't answer him right away, looking more like he was thinking of the right words to use.

"Also, Mr. Kirk's logic is sound. Lieutenant Uhura was top of her xenoliguistics class—an exceptional student, and it would be wise to accept her conclusions. If she claims the transmission is real and has no doubts of trickery, then I believe it would be in our best interests for the ship and crew to ready ourselves for battle." The Vulcan peered into Pike's darkening eyes. "As per Mr. Kirk's instruction." He added for no apparent reason. Like it was private, somehow.

And Pike understood that private reason, letting it sink into his body and mind. He'd been so angry with Kirk, he'd almost forgotten that _any_ threats should be dealt with cautiously. Even if what Kirk said was a lie, it would be best to ready for anything upon their arrival. But even knowing that, Pike couldn't shake the bit of jealousy that wrapped around his heart. He looked to Spock, then Jim who stood behind him, three inches shorter, looking at him over the Vulcan's shoulder like a scared puppy. Perhaps they _had_ been too quick to judge him. Did he really have anything else to go on?

"This is why I wanted you as my First Officer," Pike told him with a weak smile, and a light, sarcastic laugh to himself, "to remind me of _other_ options." He looked at Kirk one last time then turned to his Bridge crew, retaining the strong air he had before Jim Kirk had managed to remind him he, too, was also only Human.

"I want everyone at battle stations." He ordered, turning to his Communications officer. "Scan all Vulcan space for any Romulan transmissions." He told her, but she frowned.

"Sir, I can't discern the difference between Vulcan and Romulan." Well that was great. He faltered for only an instant before moving to Uhura, breathing deeply before he approached her.

"What about you?" he asked. "Can you speak Romulan?" He only knew her as a star pupil back in the academy. She was responsible and trustworthy, but in fact, Pike knew very little about her though he'd often requested her to do various duties for him. One of them three years ago to escort Kirk. Spock was right to say they should trust her conclusions.

Uhura saluted promptly and smiled. "All three dialects, Sir." Quick, prompt, and smart. Pike remembered why he liked this officer.

"Good, then relieve the other lieutenant." She scampered off to the station. Everyone was beginning to get into battle mode. The alert red lights flashed on and off now as the entire ship was being notified.

"Mr. Spock," Pike said, "hail the _USS Delegate_." The Vulcan quickly complied and went over to a nearby station, helping Uhura clear frequencies. Jim swallowed thickly, wondering if what he was doing was the right thing, then moved back until he was standing side-by-side with Bones. It was strange the Human gave him such securities.

A warm hand placed itself on his shoulder, making Jim look up into sincere brown eyes. Bones was smiling. "You did good, kid." He told him. Jim replied with another smile, thinking how that simple phrase made his entire plan seem so flawless.

"The other ships have dropped out of warp and have arrived at Vulcan," Spock reported evenly, "but contact is impossible."

Uhura spoke up right after him. "All frequencies have been jammed. I'm not able to send or receive any transmissions, Captain!"

"That's because they're being attacked." Jim said darkly, looking over to Pike who had just sat back down in his command chair. Their gaze locked for an instant, Jim now knowing that the Captain had no other choice but to believe him. There hadn't been enough time for him to fake up that amount of data. Now Pike had two choices: Die or fight. Jim hoped either option gave him enough time to rescue Bones and his own ass.

Pike looked around one last time. "Shields up." He ordered smoothly. "And ready all weapons."

"Dropping warp in five seconds." The pilot reported, readying the starship for the drop. Everyone went tense. The Bridge fell silent once more. Bones could hear his own heartbeat. Mr. Spock and Uhura looked up to the view screen. Then—

The view screen lit up with the ominous glow of debris and attack. A part of some starship's hull came barreling towards them, making the new pilot use evasive maneuvers to avoid contact. The scene was dreadful, just as Jim had warned. The other starships on the scene were either blown to pieces or still fighting a giant dark mass. It was then Pike saw the giant dark mass was actually a ship! Larger than any ship he'd ever seen, and very sea-creature like with protrusions like evil tentacles, and torpedoes like hell's wrath.

Jim was the only one who smiled. It was his home.

Alarms blared, the pilot making moves to avoid more debris, forcing a lot of the crew around the Bridge to keep themselves steady. One particular uplift caused Jim to tumble backwards and land right on top of Spock, who caught him at his shoulders as they landed against the console. Both grunted from the pressure.

"Are you injured?" Spock asked. But before Jim could answer, the ship tumbled again, making both men topple to the floor, Spock hovering over Jim's vulnerable body. When he looked up, Jim thought he saw something flash through the Vulcan's eyes, but disregarded it. Spock was an emotionless fool, an _alive_ emotionless fool, he reminded himself. Damnit! He still needed to kill this guy!

As they stood up so Spock could return to his station, Jim looked around to get an idea of how he was going to murder him while on the Bridge. There wasn't anything he could use without seeming obvious, and he still lacked the appropriate time to get into the manual controls of the ship to cause any malfunction that would destroy him.

The ship tumbled again, throwing Jim over to the left to smack the floor. He peered up blurredly at the view screen and decided there wasn't enough time for that. Nero would just have to destroy the ship and accomplish his mission for him. In the mean time, he needed to find a way to contact his uncle.

Pike shouted orders about the Bridge, making the _Enterprise_ throw itself everyway it could to avoid contact and weapons. It was a bumpy ride, most of the crew trying to hold themselves at their stations for the worst of it.

"Get me Starfleet Command!" Pike shouted to whomever was working the stations at the moment, but he was met with equal desperation. Spock held himself on the station, turning his eyes to his Captain.

"The Romulan ship has lowered some kind of high energy pulse device into the Vulcan atmosphere—its signal appears to be blocking all communications and transporter abilities!" Pike grumbled to himself. This was fucking brilliant! No communication, no transporter, they were just on the edge of fucked.

"Evasive maneuvers!" He ordered the pilot. "Take us below and fire all weapons!" The crew went into a frenzy to comply the orders, but only Jim was free to move about the Bridge since he had no duties to perform.

While everyone was distracted, he was trying to access the wall terminal to give him complete controls of emergency communications. Since his father had already sent down the drill, only _he_ knew of a way around the scrambling frequency, and he needed to act fast if he wanted to make sure he and Bones were gone before the ship was destroyed. Nimble fingers worked their magic, trying to disengage controls and initiate others, only to turn up empty. They were running out of time, fire power, and stamina. It wouldn't be too long before they met their demise.

"The Romulans have locked torpedoes!" An officer shouted across the Bridge. "Shields down to twenty percent! We can't take another hit like that!" Jim internally panicked, making his hands work quicker. When another 'access denied' prompted him, Jim slammed his fists down in frustration against the panel. He then looked around, unsure what to do next—and where the hell was Bones?

This was the first moment he'd actually taken in the damage upon the Bridge and knew instantly where his friend had gone off to. Sickbay, to help the injured. Damn that man's Hippocratic Oath! This wasn't going to work if the main reason for his traitorous acts wasn't present!

He needed a new idea and fast. Thinking quickly, Jim cursed to himself. He had no other options. Jim dropped beside Uhura who was frantically working her station to get control of the frequencies. His only choice left was to use Uhura's duty privileges to save their asses one more time.

"Uhura, open and access the ship's main computers for me, allow it to give you all administrative access." She stared up at him confused, another hard maneuver throwing them a bit.

"You have a plan?" She demanded of him, almost scared. Jim nodded, and with nothing else to lose, she complied and opened the access terminal.

…

The crew aboard the _Narada_ was in less of a wreck than the Federation scum below them. They moved swiftly through their duties, complying with every order. Nero was pleased. The drilling was almost complete on Vulcan, and soon they would be sending down the Red Matter to make Spock pay for his crime. Everything was going according to their long, drawn out plans. Finally, the time for their revenge was nearly complete. Nero smiled.

Ayel sat in silence, working his station tediously, blasting starships out of existence and toying with others to let the enemies think they stood a chance. It was hardening for his heart, each attack blazing through the space around them to kill _more_ innocent people. The destruction was immense, but after twenty-five years of servitude to Nero, he'd grown numb to it all. What was another life for the cost of their planet? What was another life to bring him one step closer to hell's doorstep?

He zeroed in on the newest starship to join the fight. It was moving about drastically and proved a formidable foe, but it wouldn't last long, Ayel knew. He locked the torpedoes on the starship, readying for the final attack that would finally silence the destruction. But he did not pull the trigger.

Before his fingers touched the controls again, Ayel stopped to observe a tiny blinking frequency upon his station. He opened the strange alert and his terminal lit to life with a barrage of numbers and codes. Ayel recognized these codes, and began translating them, making his breath stop in his lungs. His eyes went wide and then a smile formed over his lips while tears stung into his view.

Jim!

Another alert blipped on his screen and his eyes fell over in shadow. Another helmsman had taken over the attack controls since he had stopped briefly. They probably assumed he was recharging ammunition and decided to finish the attack for him.

Oh no.

Ayel stood up from his station quickly, knowing the only person who could call off the attack was Nero. Since his emotionalism over Jim, Ayel hadn't been given much command out of fear he would become compromised during the execution of their plans. Nero had thought right to do so, but this was one moment where he had dreaded following those orders. They were about to kill his nephew!

The Romulan Commander rushed through the corridors to gain access to their Bridge. The doors opened swiftly, allowing him quick entry. Every eye on the Bridge turned to him, Nero's gaze the hardest.

"Why aren't you at your station, Commander?" Nero demanded of him, wondering if this was going to be another attempt at mutiny.

"You have to stop the attack!" Ayel replied desperately, not calming Nero's assumption. "Jim's on that ship!"

…

Uhura looked up from the controls to Jim who wore an expression of pure surprise. She had given him complete override control of the communications mainframe, but what he had done with it was beyond her knowledge. She'd never seen someone deliberately destroy codes and reassemble them into an older fashion for what her instructors would call a 'flinging vulnerable shift'. He managed to break through the scrambling caused by the strange device only temporarily, but with enough time to send one code. Whatever he had sent stopped the attack. Everyone was looking on in silence and question. Why were they still alive?

"Kirk, what did you do?" Pike demanded, getting up from his chair to face him directly.

Jim stood proud and firm, sure of himself. He knew what he did. "I sent them a signal, forcing them to call our bluff," he lied, "making them think we still have communication abilities."

"How did you manage this?" Spock asked him, intriguingly. Pike laughed to himself and shook his head.

"Really Spock? You're asking how?" The Vulcan looked at him, saying nothing. Pike continued. "He's _Kobayashi Alternative_. That should be answer enough, don't you think?" A strange sense of warmth burrowed in Jim's stomach upon hearing that. He smiled, but he wasn't sure what for. These feelings were so new to him, was he feeling pride from Pike? Accomplishment? He turned away, feeling his face heat up. How odd this feeling was.

"Captain," Uhura then said, breaking the warmth that had enveloped them, "we're being hailed." The entire Bridge switched glances with one another, Jim looking up to the view screen before frantically looking around for the nearest exit. But he stopped himself. No. He wouldn't run away, not from his father. Not now. If Ayel had gotten his message, then his uncle would be there too. He missed that Romulan so much.

Everyone stilled in unison when the view screen blinked and sputtered alive to show the hard and strong angles of Jim's father.

Nero.

No one knew this but him, and Jim stood proudly, playing his role and allowing his father to see he was still alive and still strong, even though on the Bridge stood with him the younger form of his enemy. What was his father to say? What would he do when he saw Jim's mission was incomplete?

Nero looked around at them all, stopping on Jim's form, flicking his eyes to Spock, still breathing, and then offering a smile to the Captain. He kept his eyes on Jim, however, for a much longer time. Would Nero give him away? Would he blow his cover?

"Hello." Nero began cordially. "I am Nero of the _Narada_."

Pike shifted his weight, moving towards the front to take the Romulan's attention. "I'm Captain Christopher Pike of the _USS Enterprise._ You've declared war against the Federation. Withdraw, and I'll agree to arrange a conference with Romulan leadership at a neutral location." Pike knew they were fucked. No communications. No fire power. No transporter. Nero had them in a trap. Words were all that was left in their arsenal.

Nero laughed. "I'm sorry to inform you, Christopher, but my crew and I stand apart from the Empire you know. Just like _one_ of your crewmembers." Nero admitted, and Jim felt his skin crawl. His own father was going to give him away! Nero was going to expose him! He had failed! Jim looked down at his feet, awaiting the words that would seal his fate—but none came. At least, not to him. "Isn't that right, Spock?"

Both he and the Vulcan looked up at once. All eyes fell on Spock, Jim was thankful for the diversion. Did this mean Nero wasn't angry with him? Had Ayel possibly talked sense into him since his departure three years ago? Would his father love him, no questions anymore? The thought that Nero would take him into his arms as a father, accept him, embrace him, made his heart stop. Could it be true?

His thoughts were so occupied, Jim had missed most of the small conversation between Spock and his father. What he could gather was that Nero didn't look as angry as before, and Spock appeared rigid with uncertainty. Pike was suspicious.

"Spock," Nero began again, "I want you to see something, since you're here, after all." Jim bit his lip, maybe Nero wasn't too forgiving just yet. He kept his eyes away, showing his father much respect even though they were still far apart. Nero continued, facing the Captain.

"Captain Pike, your transporter is disabled, and it has been confirmed you are still without communications." Pike knew they'd called their bluff. _Nice try, though, Jim._ "You will man a shuttle and come aboard my ship for negotiations." He looked around the Bridge one last time, making everyone's breath catch. Jim didn't dare look up to see if he had stopped on him. "That is all." He finally told them and cut the transmission. Jim released the breath he didn't even know he was holding and basked in the feelings that washed over his body. That had been so close. But seeing as Nero didn't single him out, maybe he had forgiven him? Jim was still unsure, and almost scared to go back to the _Narada_ and find out.

His thoughts were broken when Spock spoke up to an eerily silent Captain. "Your survival is unlikely." He told him slowly, evenly. "It would be best to rethink your strategy." Pike nodded to him, understanding that completely.

"You're right, Spock." He told him bleakly, "but Nero hasn't left me any other options." Pike knew what he had to do. Looking into the faces of his young crew, gazing into the minutely worried eyes of his Vulcan friend, Pike knew his duties. His life was not worth the hundreds aboard his ship. He stared back into Spock. His life was not worth his dear friend's. Pike spun around and spoke clearly unto the Bridge with firm, strong tones. "I need any officers with experience in hand-to-hand combat."

The pilot raised his hand, standing and saluting to him. "I have experience, Sir." Good man, Pike thought.

"Then you, come with me." He ordered and began for the turbolift, Spock following on his heels. "Kirk," he said loudly, regaining the boy's attentions from whatever was clouding his thoughts, "you too. You're not supposed to be here anyway." Jim stared at him like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, but then nodded his consent and followed them. They all stepped into the turbolift. "Mr. Chekov, radio the engine room and have them deliver a pulse bomb to the shuttle bay."

"Pulse bomb?" Jim asked, but the turbolift doors shut around them before any answer could be given.

…

Nero turned from the view screen, a smile on his lips as deadly as his heart. "James is alive." He told Ayel who was standing a distance behind him. Ayel said nothing, made no movements or gestures. He didn't think he could since he had seen his nephew's face again. The pure emotion behind it had almost made him choke on relief. Nero approached him.

"James is alive," he said again into his Commander's face, "but so is _Spock_." He spat, the smile fading. Ayel didn't give away any of his inner thoughts, but stood still, facing forward. Taking Nero's taunting. "The clock is running out, Ayel… You know what awaits you both should he not complete his mission."

Ayel slowly nodded, forcing back the knot in his throat.

"Let's just hope that James realizes I'm giving him another chance." Nero laughed deeply, as if the joke was private. "What a kind father I am to give such chances. With the Captain gone, James will be free to roam about and finish his mission. No watchful eyes. He can bloody his hands green." Nero grasped Ayel's shoulder tightly, shaking him once to remind him he was there. The smile was gone, and the seriousness of their plans returned.

"Go and retrieve Christopher from the dock once he arrives. Bring him to me in the brig. When we're finished interrogating him, we'll discuss how to bring your nephew back aboard—but _only_ if Spock is confirmed dead. Do you understand, Commander?" Ayel nodded again, but much quicker this time. "Good. Then you're dismissed, Ayel." He pat his cheek and smiled again. "And smile a little, my friend. It won't be long before you two are reunited again. Whether it be by an embrace or by a shared death. Smile."

_Smile._

It was times like these Ayel wished Nero didn't have his complete loyalties.

…

Mr. Spock followed Captain Pike directly, Jim Kirk, and the pilot he knew as Mr. Sulu walking alongside him. Nothing was logical, when Spock thought about it. First his bouts with Jim Kirk at the academy, then his own friend singling him out to protect him from Jim Kirk, and now a Captain named Nero he'd never met before calling his name and telling him he wanted him to 'see' something. Was it strange to feel like he was at a crossroad? Put on display for some cosmic scaled reason? It was not logical.

But hard to deny the bizarre coincidences.

Pike started, causing Spock to focus attention on him. "Without transporters, we're screwed. We can't beam off the ship, or assist Vulcan. So I'm going to create an opportunity that Nero won't be expecting." Spock thought he may have imagined the slight determination that flooded into Jim Kirk's eyes, but he ignored it. Pike continued. "Mr. Kirk and Mr. Sulu, was it?" he asked, "You're both going to space-jump from the shuttle with chutes and the pulse bomb and land on that machine they've lowered into the atmosphere. That's the source of the scrambling. We need to disable it, which is where the pulse bomb comes in. Use it to deactivate the device and once completed, beam back aboard the ship." Kirk and Sulu switched glances. Spock was equally confused since Mr. Kirk was in the midst of a discharge.

They continued to the shuttle bay, feet matching the quick pace. They stopped just in front of another turbolift which would take Captain Pike and the others down to the shuttles. "Captain," Spock pleaded, "Mr. Kirk is in the stages of discharge. He is not listed for active duty." Pike turned and looked at him with sincere, Human eyes.

"I know, Spock, which is why I'm putting you in command now." Pike took his shoulders, Spock feeling the warmth of his fingers bleed into him. "Clear Kirk for duty and allow him ship-wide access to all terminals and data. His discharge has just been rendered null." Spock stared into him, curious, confused by his fickle Human traits.

"But, Captain—"

"He just saved us, Spock." Pike nearly whispered. "Maybe you were right to force me to look at another perspective." Pike's hand reached up and caressed Spock's cheek where it was still sore from Pike's slap earlier. "Perhaps we _were_ too quick to judge him. I've been a fool, Spock, a jealous fool."

Spock was stunned. "Chris…?"

Pike shook his head. "No, Commander. Not Chris. Not Captain. _You're_ the Captain now." The Vulcan felt his eyes widen, but said nothing in response. He wanted to, tried to, but found something blocking his airway. He quelled the emotion quickly, feeling a chill settle over him when Pike released his shoulders.

He returned to business, smiling at Spock. "The moment you can transmit again, contact Starfleet Command and let them know what's going on out here. If for some reason the mission fails, fall back and rendezvous with the fleet in the Laurentian System. And one more thing," he paused, looking to Jim Kirk and then back to Spock. "I'm promoting Kirk to First Officer."

"_What?_" Jim all but shouted. Spock shown his concern as well, but subtly. Was Captain Pike serious?

"Consider this a white flag, Mr. Kirk. We need to keep the chain of command, and I don't think I need to go into the details why I think you two will make a good match." Pike told him, then looked to Spock again for approval. He winked at the Vulcan. "Be nice to my ship, Mr. Spock. She's new." The turbolift doors opened and closed around the three men, Spock's vision fading with their presence.

Jim stood beside Pike and mumbled to himself. How was he supposed to get back home now? He was sick of this charade and wanted to go home, but Pike had just promoted him to First Officer, a second in command aboard the _Enterprise_. If he made it back safely, he could kill Spock and take control of the ship entirely, turning it over to his father as an apology gift to accept Jim's delayed mission. Yes. That would work. And on the drill, Jim could easily knock Mr. Sulu off and let him escape to an unfortunate death. He'd work the controls himself, talk with his crew again, and beam back aboard giving the ship no further contact, surrender it to Nero, grab Bones, and walk to his home a hero.

Yes. The plan was perfect.

But little did Jim know that McCoy was getting his own stroke of additional promotions.

…

Dr. McCoy held in his arms the bloodied remains of Dr. Puri. He was the ship's Chief Medical Officer, and now lay dead in the doctor's arms. His death caused by an explosion of one of the equipment during their battle, forcing a gaping hole into the CMO. Bones stared down at the man, trying to hold back tears of a lost life. He had done all he could, but it had been too late. Sickbay was in shambles, injuries all throughout the ship. McCoy now understood he had a new responsibility. It took one message from Mr. Spock to force reality in motion.

"_Dr. Puri, please report."_ The Vulcan's voice came over the intercom. McCoy released the cold CMO and stood, ignoring the blood that covered his body. Bones was the second ranked doctor on board. It was now his duty to fill the spot Dr. Puri had left behind. He pushed the intercom button to establish a link.

"This is McCoy," he said with a heavy heart, "Dr. Puri is dead." Silence filled on the other end for many seconds.

"_Then it appears you have just inherited his title, Dr. McCoy. Please report."_

McCoy stared down at the body, the _bodies_ being moved around him. Some of them bore the faces of cadets he'd known at the academy. Friends. He shook the thoughts away. He was responsible for them now. _All of them_. The weight of duty nearly crushed him where he stood.

It was the first time McCoy ever fought back tears while giving a report.

…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N – When people begin to fall in love with a minor character that you give life and personality, you know you've written it well. It really makes me smile to know some of you love how I've portrayed Ayel in this story. He had such a small role in the movie, and it was difficult to actually establish his personality based on the small screen time, deleted scenes, the book version and script of the movie (yes, I'm a geek and actually went and found the movie script to read for references! Lol!). It's surprisingly different from the movie in a lot of ways, some of which I did implement into this story because I thought it would fit here. A good read (and plot hole filler) if you ever get the chance to read it. But enough about that—on to Chapter 10!

…

The shuttle left the dock slowly, patiently, like an eel peeking from its burrow. In the underside of the shuttle, where cargo would typically sit, Jim stood beside Mr. Sulu suited in space-jump gear; made of heavy material to prevent heat from the fall, helmet transmitters for communications, chutes for an easy landing, and one object that didn't go with the suits at all: the pulse bomb.

Mr. Sulu held the tiny red box in his arms, the beeping sound it was making not heard at all through their helmets. It was a simple device, though Jim knew he'd have to make the appropriate amount of time to go into its wiring and disable it. And upon that, he'd have to make time to kill the officer. Neither of which he wanted to do, but would bring him one step closer to going home. That thought alone spurred him on to complete his mission.

The gravity alert sounded, and before Jim knew it, he was thrown against the back wall as velocity took over and artificial gravity ceased. He heard Pike's voice over the transmitter in their helmets as he wished them luck, reminded them of their mission, then a count down, then a free fall.

Sulu and Jim dropped at the same moment from the shuttle, 60,000 feet above the Vulcan surface. They were dangerously close to the plasma drill's tether, but the shear speed it went by them really gave Jim a real idea of how long the tether was and just how far away their point of landing would be. They would fall for quite a while before contact.

The thought of simply sabotaging Sulu's chute came to his mind, but they were too far apart with much resistance from the atmosphere for him to do any damage, so Jim waited it out. He knew once they landed, he'd get a new plan. Communications were still out, no one would know of his traitorous killing except him.

Briefly the eerie silence, filled with only the sound of his own breath, made him look over to the pilot. He knew nothing about this officer, and would, in fact, be his first _real_ victim. Though this was what his father had been training him for, the thought of actually murdering someone who was honestly only an innocent bystander didn't sit well in his stomach. Was that doubt creeping up his spine?

The plasma drill head approached them, coming at its maximum speed. All around them, the red orb of Vulcan glowed like a bright red marble, and slowly the surface features came into view. Red sands. Red sky. Red everywhere. Red as his own blood hissing into his ears. Jim wasn't panicking, but he was something very close to it. He wasn't sure why.

Sulu was the first to pull his chute, Jim going after him. Separately they fell to the drill head, crosswinds blowing them only a little off course. He saw the drill moving under him, and with quick hands he tried to guide the chute to lead him to its platform—but the winds blew him too hard and Jim found himself moving in the wrong direction. The suction of the plasma drilling into the Vulcan planet was causing the winds to uproar and change direction without notice. If he didn't land on the drill head, he was sure to be sucked into the plasma ray and _die_.

Trying not to panic, Jim worked the strings of his chute, trying to align his feet with the drill, the surface coming closer and closer but further away from him. In a last attempt to secure himself with the drilling platform right below his body, Jim released the chute from his suit, making him free fall again, hoping he wouldn't be blown away any further.

He fell.

And fell.

Jim smashed against the surface of the plasma drill head, landing near the edge, where his hands clawed to grasp at anything to give him purchase. His feet dangled, he squirmed, being dragged by the shear force of the ray's distortion of the air around it. He wasn't stopping! He only looked over his shoulder once to the Vulcan surface below and the plasma ray drilling into it. He closed his eyes, used all his strength, and began trying to pull himself up. To his astonishment, it worked! Jim had stopped moving, but then, what was that pressure on his arms?

Jim looked up to find the source of the pressure only to discover two hands holding him tightly. These hands belonged to Sulu, who at some point had landed. Together, they used mutual strength to pull Jim back up. Once safe from the edge (and _death_), Sulu released him, Jim staring into the man staggered.

Jim removed his helmet, Sulu followed, both men looking at each other. "Thank you." Jim forced out.

"Don't look so surprised, Mr. Kirk," Sulu laughed off, "I wouldn't have let you fall." His words were sincere, full, and the smile, Jim knew, was genuine. He looked away, unsure what to think about the act of kindness. How would Jim kill him now? By Romulan code, technically he was now in debt to this man until he saved Sulu's life. This… complicated his plans.

The red box that was the pulse bomb was pushed into his hands. Jim looked back up to him, taking the device. "Activate the bomb, I'll keep off any Romulans if they discover us." That was foolish. How was Sulu going to keep them off when Jim knew two Romulans at minimum were required to work the drill and all carried disruptors on them? Hand-to-hand combat didn't exactly wage fair against technical weapons.

As if someone wanted to answer his question, the hatch on the central part of the drill opened, revealing the two said Romulans. Sulu immediately took up his guard around Jim who still held in his hands the pulse bomb. Then from apparently nowhere, the pilot pulled from his suit a small handle device and from it came out the long shaft of a deadly blade. Getting into a fighting stance Jim wasn't familiar with, Sulu readied himself for battle.

"Quickly!" Sulu ordered to him. "I'll hold them off!"

The Romulans, Jim recognized as Hanaj and Deron, however, since Sulu was in the way and a battle had presented itself, he didn't think they had recognized him yet. Shit. Since Jim now owed Sulu his life, he couldn't let the man be harmed, but if he prevented a deadly blow, he'd be released from the bond and could then kill the unsuspecting pilot. _Gotta love loopholes_, Jim thought.

Deron and Hanaj approached slowly; Jim put down the bomb and got up beside Sulu. Now in plain sight, the two warriors recognized their enemy, but only acknowledged him with a wide stare.

"You!" Deron hissed in a tone that clearly spat 'traitor'. Jim never really liked Deron much. Too quick to anger and often a shit-talker. Hanaj, on the other hand, appeared to feel the same way but took notice that Jim was still supposed to be acting like the enemy and probably meant them no harm.

"A friend of yours?" Sulu asked him as the two stepped closer.

Jim nodded. "Let's just say that my past put me in close contact with many Romulans." It wasn't a lie, but he let the pilot use his imagination to fill in any gaps. Good enough.

As Jim thought he would, Deron initiated the fight, barreling towards Jim in anger that was clearly misguided. Hanaj shouted for him to stop, but Deron ignored him. A fight ensued, Jim trying to keep off Deron's attacks while Sulu began grappling with Hanaj. His Romulan friend fought with him, angry, and Jim led their fight around the central core to get away from Sulu so he could be out of earshot.

A hard fist came towards his face, but Jim stopped it with his own hand, bringing it down and around to twist Deron in his grip. Jim held him tightly against his breast, Deron fighting to remove himself from his grasp.

"Why the _fuck_ are you attacking me!" Jim demanded from him, not releasing him even to breathe.

"It's because of _you_ that we're still here!" Deron snarled, wrestling with him. "We want to go home, Jim! We want to see our families, even if they're a hundred years younger! We want to _go home!_"

Deron twisted himself out, but Jim caught his upper arm and threw him down on to the platform, straddling his hips to hold him down. "We're going home, you ass!" Jim shouted into his face. "Once the mission is complete, we _all_ are!"

Deron stopped struggling and slowly, grimly, shook his head. "No. You don't understand." He told him through clenched teeth. "All of us wanted to go home, to Romulus. We told Ayel this knowing he was the only man strong enough to stand against Nero for a mutiny—to take over the _Narada_ and let us go home in peace… but he said he would not lead us. And do you know why, Jim?" He paused, taking in Jim's reaction. "Because he didn't want to leave without _you._ _You're_ the damn reason why we're still in this godforsaken shithole instead of back on our planet! _You!_ It's all _you're_ fault!"

With new anger rising, Deron threw Jim off of him. Jim slid across the platform, remembering how strong Romulans were in comparison with his half-breed blood. It was Jim's turn to be angry.

"You're angry with me, and yet it is _you_ who is a traitor." Jim growled, readying himself in a fighting stance. "You're a coward! You're a soft-belly! You don't deserve to serve alongside the true Romulans! You don't deserve to go back to Romulus in honour! How _dare_ you try to commit mutiny against my father!"

Deron equally set himself up in a fighting stance, readying for the fight. "What would you know of _true_ Romulans?" He spat with an ugly smile. "You're not a true Romulan either." The words slit him thinly like a sharp blade, causing something Jim only knew as his own festering hatred to ignite under pressure and explode in fury. He _was_ Romulan! Deron was the one who was not! That fucking traitor! With all his pent up rage, Jim charged the smiling fool, both landing in a fight neither had entered since his training days all those years ago.

Deron, though a fool, was a formidable foe that he had sparred with many times during his life. His anger was what made him a useful competitor. He would thrash wildly and use unexpected moves that only served to keen Jim's senses. Every fist thrown was pure anger, and every fist thrown back was pure hatred. Jim ducked, moved out of the way and took Deron's blows while Deron only evaded his own attacks. The entire fight had been honourable and worthy anyone's death until Jim was pinned to the drill's centre wall with a disruptor placed delicately at his temple.

Jim should have known Deron would play dirty.

Jim bored into his eyes with flamed hate. "Weapons serve no honour."

"If you're dead, we can go home."

"Ayel will seek vengeance for my life."

The grip on the disruptor tightened. "He will never know."

Jim studied him and smiled. "Oh, he'll know." Jim promised and looked over Deron's shoulder to something the Romulan couldn't see. In response, Deron turned, but was left no time to see what was behind him before a blast erupted through his stomach. Deron gasped, his own weapon falling from Jim, and hit the platform with green blood oozing from his abdomen. He looked up and the blurry image he saw was Hanaj, a disruptor in his palms and tears in his eyes as he looked upon the dying form of his friend.

"Go and be at peace with your wife and child." Hanaj whispered to him. "Go home, my friend." Deron's eyes slid shut slowly, his breath escaping one last time, and on his lips, a strange smile. It looked like one of acceptance, which didn't at all make sense to Jim. Then silence. Deron was dead.

Hanaj did not mourn, though Jim knew he wanted to, and he would have given him time had the Romulan not approached him so quickly. "Are you injured?" Hanaj asked, looking at the bruises and abrasions that Deron had caused. Jim shook his head.

"No more than usual." Jim told him. "What happened to Sulu?"

"You mean your Federation officer? Do not worry, I didn't kill him. I saw that he saved your life. I would not step between our sacred promises, so I knocked him unconscious. He's resting by the hatch." Hanaj tried to hide a smile, but failed. "He is a very strong opponent. The best I've seen in years! It is a pity he is the enemy."

Jim nodded, then looked down at the cold, dead Romulan at their feet. Hanaj seemed to read his thoughts, taking up his side to drag his eyes over the man that was once his friend. "Much has changed since you left, Jim." Hanaj began softly, but loud enough to be heard. "We have all grown tired, weak, and most of us have lost the hatred we held for Spock of Vulcan." That made Jim fling his eyes up at him in confusion. Hanaj stopped his lips by holding up his palm. "I know." He said. "It goes against everything we raised you to know, but it's been twenty-five years. We only want to go home."

"Then was what Deron told me true? Did you all plan a mutiny?" Hanaj nodded to him.

"We begged for your uncle to take command. He was the only one among us who could stand against Nero and talk sense into him. However, Ayel declined, saying he would not leave you behind. He refused to commit mutiny without his nephew." There, Hanaj turned to Jim and stared into his soft blue eyes. "But Nero caught rumour of the mutiny and how we had all asked Ayel to lead us. Nero was not pleased."

Jim felt his heart skip. Nero was harsh when it came to traitors, even if Ayel had refused to offer, the knowledge alone could have gotten him executed. Jim gulped. "My uncle is well, yes?" He had to make sure.

Hanaj didn't answer quickly, making Jim wonder what had happened to him, but then a smile crossed the Romulan's face. "Ayel is in good health, Jim, the only repercussions he received were to lose his command abilities. He has very little control of us now. Nero took it from him out of personal fear Ayel would attempt mutiny in the future or may become too emotionally involved over you and abuse his power. He's safe, but he's growing weak like the rest of us."

Jim turned away, fear and anger turning into raw embers under his skin. "I must see Uncle." Hanaj disagreed with him.

"No, Jim." He took Jim's shoulders into his palms and turned him back, placing a gentle hand on his chin to have him look up. "You must complete your mission. For all of us. So that we can finally go home." Both men smiled, and Jim hugged the Romulan. It felt so nice to feel the embrace of another member of his family. It'd been so long.

Suddenly, a large explosion shocked through the platform, making Hanaj and Jim's embrace rip apart. Jim tumbled backwards and flicked his eyes up to the Romulan who looked apologetic. "What's happening?" He shouted as the platform shuddered, the tether making horrible noises around them and the plasma ray shutting off.

"I enabled your bomb."

"What! _Why?_"

Hanaj only stared at him, a small smile on his lips and bright eyes conveying all the emotion he dared. "Get out of here, Jim. You haven't much time." And with those final words, Jim's eyes went wide as he watched Hanaj step backwards, then let himself fall over the edge of the drill.

"Hanaj!" Jim called and rushed the edge, only to miss the man and watch him fall to the Vulcan surface below. It was too late. Jim turned away; he could not watch another die.

…

Uhura turned quickly to Spock who was sitting ramrod straight in the command chair. "The jamming signal's gone! Communications are enabled again!"

Chekov followed after her. "Transporter kontrols are re-engaged, Sair."

Spock sat up and turned to both officers, a look of relief over their tired faces. Spock steadied himself, trying not to think that this was his home planet where his mother and father still remained. He spoke evenly, though quickly. "Run gravitational sensors, Mr. Chekov. Report to me what they are doing to the planet."

"Aye, Kommander—eh, I mean Keptin, sorry. Keptin." The Bridge went into a frenzy as all stations came back online. Many moments passed, each one striking new emotions into the Vulcan's side. He knew nothing of this technology. He couldn't explain the situation to himself. Nothing was logical to him.

And what of his family?

_Mother._

Chekov interrupted his thoughts, "Keptin, the Romulans hav lauched some kend of dewice ento thee drilling hole they kreated!"

"What kind of device?"

"I am uncertain, Sair. Scanning now." Many more moments ticked away, and still no word from the landing party. Were Mr. Sulu and Mr. Kirk okay as well? He had not been alerted that their life signs were out, so perhaps along with succession of their mission they had managed to remain alive.

Chekov interrupted his thoughts again, this time with a stare he understood as Human panic and disbelief. "Grawitashunal sensors are off thee scale—and if my kalculashuns are korrect, thee dewice they launched is kreating a singularity," Chekov choked on his own report and paused, gulping something, "a singularity," he continued slowly, "that will konsume thee planeet."

Spock did not know how it was logically possible, but for a moment, he felt his heart stop completely. This was impossible! There was no device that could do such damage! It had to be a mistake! It was not logical! "They are creating a black hole… at the centre of Vulcan?" Spock asked, trying to confirm the Ensign's report. Reluctantly, the Russian nodded. Time stood still. "How long does the planet have?"

The Bridge turned grim, all attention on the small boy. "Minutes, Sair… _Minutes._"

The Acting Captain stood up hurriedly, blindly fast. He turned to Uhura as he walked by her to make way for the turbolift. "Alert Vulcan Command Centre to signal a planet-wide evacuation—all channels, all frequencies—maintain standard orbit."

Uhura gave her consent, but most were confused as to where their current Captain was heading. He said nothing further and left no time for questions as he took himself to the Transporter Room. He only had a small window of time to act. The Vulcan High Council would be at the Katrik Arc, unaware of the dangers around them—and more than likely his parents would be among them. Beaming them out would be impossible due to the sacred vicinity the area was. He needed to get them out himself before it was too late!

…

Jim knew what the pod was when he saw it. He also knew it held a single dot of Red Matter, as per his father's plans, so the entire planet would be destroyed in a man-made singularity. Now was the time to act. He needed to get out of there before he was taken out along with Vulcan.

The _Narada_ crew knew obviously to do the same thing, because just as Jim was signaling the _Enterprise_ to beam him and Sulu up, the drill head began to retract back to the ship, making the drill head wobble and force Jim near the edge. He managed to stop himself from falling, but his unconscious pilot didn't have the same reassurance. Everything moved in slow motion as he watched Sulu's unconscious mass slide off the platform.

Son of a mother-fucking bitch.

Jim dashed after the sliding pilot, but missed him, Sulu beginning another free fall for the Vulcan surface and Jim watching above in awe. He owed Sulu his life. Thinking to himself, Jim damned his Romulan civility and closed his eyes—taking a huge leap off the platform. If they made it through this alive, his debt would be repaid.

Jim gripped his arms and legs together closely to his body, becoming a half-Human rocket as he fell quickly to Sulu's form. The wind was intense, he could barely see, and the ripping sounds about his face reminded him of his daring, stupid youth. All those times he'd rigged the machinery into go-carts for his pleasure, all those fast blurs through the _Narada_ at fast speeds. Instantly, he felt relaxed and renewed, giving him the courage he needed to dive faster for Sulu.

Seconds felt like minutes, and then—their bodies collided, Jim gripping Sulu close to his front. The things he did for honour. Quickly, he pulled Sulu's chute, thankful to see it deploy without problems, however, the two of them weighed too much, causing the tethers to snap and the chute to break. The ground approached closer and Jim cursed to himself. He was _not_ going to go out this way! After all the mistakes he'd made and three years of uncover duty, James T. Kirk deserved a better death than a free fall to a planet surface!

Jim signaled the _Enterprise_ again, this time breaking through with desperation. "Sulu unconscious!" He shouted. "No chute! We're falling without a chute! Beam us up! Beam us up now!"

…

The transporter officer was sweating. His brow was furrowed as he tried to lock on the falling forms, but to no avail. They were moving too quickly and he couldn't lock on to them. He must have said it out loud, because the next thing he knew, officers were flitting about out of the way for the Russian kid. He must have overheard the report.

"Move!' Chekov ordered, "I kan do that! I kan do that!" Chekov pushed pass Mr. Spock who had just arrived in the room, getting himself directly at the controls as he began flinging his fingers over them.

"_Still falling to our deaths here!"_ He heard Kirk say over the transmitter. _"But take your time! No rush!"_

"Kalm down! I kan do that! I will get you!" Chekov kept working the manual controls. "No need to be _rude_ about it." He grumbled under his breath. Working fast, Chekov ignored the stares he was creating, using all his abilities to get these two before they were crushed.

"_Enterprise! Where are you!"_

"Compensating gravitational pull and—" The syncs locked perfectly, the Russian giving a squeal of delight. "Gotcha!" The transporter whirred and hissed to life, atoms being reassembled on the platform.

The last thing Jim remembered was seeing the fissuring, cracking, and lava spewing surface of Vulcan as he and Sulu neared it. He closed his eyes, waiting to hear his own bones crack when suddenly he hit a hard surface, but not nearly as hard as it would have been had it been the planet. He blinked and looked around inside a cheering room of people who were all smacking the back of the Russian boy he remembered from the Bridge.

They were alive—and in the Transporter Room.

The medical team hit them promptly, Bones rushing in and throwing a tricorder into his face, but Jim was forced to ignore it when another figure that wasn't with the medical team stepped up on the transporter. It was Spock.

"Please remove all persons from the transporter." He ordered. Jim stared at him in disbelief, Bones stopped for a second too before he took Sulu from Jim's arms.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bones shouted, giving Sulu to another nurse. Jim stepped off the platform with the doctor. "You can't beam down there! The planet is crumbling!" Spock paused, but Jim stopped Bones from saying anything further.

"No, Bones," Jim said with an understanding glance. "Let him go."

"Let him go?" Bones yelled. "Are you just as crazy as him?"

"He _needs_ to do this." Jim countered, looking Spock square in the eye, and Spock nodded in silent approval. The Vulcan felt a brief moment of some emotion for Mr. Kirk who understood his motives, knowing that since he was Vulcan how he must have family on the planet, but he couldn't have been farther from the truth. Jim smiled as he watched the Vulcan began to beam away. He knew there wasn't enough time, and Spock would die along with his planet. After he was confirmed dead, it was a mission complete and Jim could go home.

Things were looking up.

Once Spock was completely gone, Jim turned back to Bones who looked bloody, tired, and very unfriendly. "And why are _you_ suited up like you've been on a mission?"

Jim smiled. "Just making a fashion statement." Bones rolled his eyes.

"You seem rather cheeky for a guy who almost collided with a planet surface."

Jim's smile broadened. "It's a great time to be alive."

Bones couldn't understand the tone Jim's used. It was… odd. But then again, Jim had almost died. Thinking nothing else of it, he ordered Jim to follow him to Sickbay, but Jim didn't move. He instead stayed put and smiled at the transporter.

"You go on without me." Jim told him again in that strange tone. "I want to see if Spock makes it _back._"

…

Many were injured; some dead. With his new responsibilities, Dr. McCoy had a lot of work on his plate. As if his life wasn't stressful enough! On top of the injured, in actuality, McCoy had no idea what was going on save that Mr. Spock had suddenly taken command of the ship. He had heard hear say that Captain Pike had been taken hostage, but with that source being about as reliable as his ex-wife's love, he decided to wait and ask the Vulcan at a later time. His first priority was his patients.

Bones had just left the Transporter room with the pilot over his and one of his nurse's shoulders when the unconscious fellow came to. He seemed dazed, blinking to regain sight, and lolling his head as if his neck wasn't working properly.

"How y'feelin'?" McCoy asked, taking his step carefully.

The pilot looked over at him with uncertainty. "You're not Dr. Puri."

McCoy shook his head. "No, I'm Dr. McCoy. I'll be taking care of you, if that's alright." The Asian briefly nodded, looking at the floor and trying to regain his own walking strength again.

"Dr. McCoy," he whispered, and Bones thought he was calling for him so he gave the man his attention. "do you mean the same McCoy that is close friends with Jim Kirk?" That was an odd question, but he acknowledged it anyway. He didn't like playing second fiddle to Jim, but with their friendship and now all this Kobayashi Alternative mess, he hadn't really a chance to clear all of it up yet.

"What about it?" Bones asked.

"You know Mr. Kirk well." He stated. McCoy nodded. "Do you know if he speaks Romulan?" Well, that was a strange question! The doctor gave a strained laugh, having never heard such a bizarre assumption in his life.

"You've been through a lot, it's normal for people to hallucinate under stress."

"So, he doesn't speak Romulan?"

McCoy was quick. "No. He doesn't." The answer didn't seem enough for the pilot, the confusion settling over him thicker even as they entered the emergency turbolift that would take them straight to Sickbay.

"Then perhaps I _was_ imagining things." He nearly whispered to McCoy. "But, I could have _sworn_ I heard him talking to them before I was…" The Asian peered up at the doctor. "He had to have been. My curiosity to see what he was talking about was what got me knocked out in the first place, also… I'm beginning to wonder why that Romulan guy didn't kill me."

That did sound odd, and it made Bones wonder on the though once again about Jim's strange behaviour. Should he be worried? It was true that this was the first time someone had asked if his best friend spoke Romulan, but it wasn't the first time something Romulan had cropped up into their lives. In fact, a lot of things surrounding Jim's odd mannerisms and behaviour were attributed to Romulan traits—but, Bones had always blown them off. The boy had been raised on a slave ship. That would explain everything… wouldn't it?

He discarded all thoughts the moment they arrived in Sickbay. He'd just have to deal with Jim's bizarre traits and oddly connecting coincidences later.

…

The seconds felt like an eternity to Jim. There was really no way to determine if Spock was still alive or not since he didn't have access to the life signs metre at the moment. With the planet below only having a few seconds left until complete destruction, he'd wait it out. It couldn't be much longer.

Then it happened, Mr. Chekov suddenly and frantically working the controls. Jim came up to his side and saw on the monitor that the boy was trying to lock and beam aboard many life signs. No.

The whirr that came with the transporter began to ring to life, many shapes beginning to form over the pads. No! There wasn't enough time for that! Spock shouldn't have had enough time! In a fit of anger, Jim slammed his fist against the transporter controls, no one noticing in the panic and hysteria most of the officers were in.

"No!" Chekov cried suddenly, bringing Jim's self awareness back, "NO! I'm losing her! I'm losing her!" Jim looked over the screen again and saw one of the life signs blinking red in distress. Her? The machine sputtered and blinked in and out, the forms coalescing into humanoid shapes, one in particular in the front looking like their arm was extended in reach.

The shapes blinked and were formed. Spock stood in the front among dirty, distressed, but emotionless creatures. His arm was extended for the blank pad beside him, his features giving away emotion Jim had never seen before. Jim simply stood, angry that Spock was alive, but his anger was put on hold by that unknown shock written across Spock's face. What had happened?

"Mother…" Spock's voice was so quiet, so low, Jim felt he was the only one that caught that. So 'her' had been his mother? Had Spock just lost his mother?

No one spoke, the silence around them enveloping them. The youngest Vulcan, Spock, stepped down from the platform, distraught still in his eyes as he looked around to the faces he had rescued. Then without a mere inflection, Mr. Spock told everyone to return to their stations and to distance them from the singularity before they were pushed beyond the event horizon.

Many 'aye, sirs' where heard, and much sadness enclosed them in the room. It was thick, heavy, and sat on Jim like a lead weight, even as Spock ordered him to come with him to the Bridge. And though Jim wanted to feel sorry for the Vulcan's obvious loss, the Acting First Officer found he couldn't have felt happier. He knew he was the only one, too. Now Spock was feeling his pain, his loss, and his suffering for taking away his own mother.

Had he killed him sooner, Spock wouldn't have known this pain, and some sick feeling inside him made him want to relish the Vulcan's absent suffering. No, he would not kill Spock yet. Not yet. Just a little bit more. Spock needed to _feel_ a little bit more.

However, Spock felt he was full. There was not enough room in his body for the amount of emotion he actually felt. He held it at bay, showing nothing of the true sadness that was encasing his heart. So focused his attentions where on hiding the pain, he barely noticed that Mr. Kirk was following behind him. They entered on to the Bridge in utter silence, all looking up at him and Mr. Kirk as the ship was pulled to a safe distance. Then with a heavy heart, all watched the view screen like a silent film, as Vulcan—now a distant red ball—imploded upon itself piece by piece. Swirls of rock and debris could be seen from where they were, and Spock barely heard some officers crying.

In the blink of an eye, Vulcan disappeared into a giant, black mass. The Bridge's breath escaping along with Spock's resolve. The only think he could focus on was his mother, whom had been with him right up until he was beamed aboard.

She was Human, frail, and beautiful. Spock had loved her so much, though he had never told her—and now he could never tell her. She was gone. Gone with Vulcan. Forever.

Spock tore himself from the view screen, sitting himself gently in the command chair. The last image he had of her burned him like a thousand suns, her last words like embers in his dying heart. _"It's okay to be afraid, Spock…"_ Gone. His mother was gone.

Forever.

"Anyone who is injured," Spock said low, but the Bridge was so silent it sounded almost like a shout, "please report to Sickbay for treatment." Spock stared down at the floor as some of the officers quietly took his order and began to eave the Bridge. All except one officer who had dared to place a hand on his shoulder. The Vulcan looked up, for some illogical reason expecting Pike, but saw Mr. Kirk.

The Acting First Officer looked wind-burned, tired, and dirty, but there was no denying he looked more prepared for duty than Spock felt. His next words were proof enough when they stung through the Vulcan's mind to remind him of who he was. "The point is to experience fear—fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear and maintain command of one's self and one's crew." Kirk told him, a far mimicry of his own words. Though any Human would have taken those words with anger, as Spock felt at first, Mr. Kirk was right. This was no time for emotions. He needed to remain strong for his crew. They were depending on him.

Spock stood, Mr. Kirk removing his hand gently. "Please accompany me to Sickbay, Mr. Kirk." Spock ordered in a newly evened voice. "We are not in danger at this moment, being too far away from the singularity's event horizon. After Dr. McCoy clears us, we may discuss our options." And together, they left for Sickbay. The Bridge feeling empty, wrong, and full of misery.

…

"Acting Captain's log, Stardate 2256.42: I have assumed command of the _Enterprise_." Spock told the recorder on his command chair. "We have heard no word from Captain Pike; I have therefore classified him a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero.

"Nero, who has destroyed my home planet—and most of the six billion inhabitants. I estimate that no more than ten thousand have survived." Jim looked on, the distance behind those bastard's eyes filling him with a sense of pride. He felt no pity for this Vulcan, nor his species. "While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who now reside upon this ship… I am now a member of an endangered species." Spock clicked the log recorder off, turning slowly to face the view screen where the black hole now sat in Vulcan's place.

Jim spoke up, now knowing that Spock was feeling everything he had felt for the last twenty-five years. It was time to pity the fool and end his suffering. "Mr. Spock, might I suggest you retire to quarters for a while? You appear to need rest." Once Spock was away from the crew and all observing eyes, he could make his move. Take command and signal his father. It would have been just that easy too had Spock thought it a great idea.

"I appreciate your concern, Mr. Kirk, however, I am Vulcan. I must remain in control of my ship and crew. You, on the other hand, are welcome to take needed rest should you desire." Time for plan B, then.

"No, Mr. Spock, I'll stay here." Spock looked up at him from the chair, a slight green tint about his eyes.

"Your performance is admirable." He nodded. "Then let us discuss our next logical steps. Lieutenant," he said, turning in his chair to Uhura who looked as bummed as the rest of them, "have you confirmed that Nero is heading for Earth next?"

She snapped back to reality, giving a heaving breath to allow herself to return to duty mode. "Their trajectory suggests no other destination, Captain." It was true, Jim knew, that his father's plans were to destroy Vulcan, then Earth, but _they_ didn't know that. What he needed to do was get back within range of the _Narada_ so he could contact his uncle. Though Spock was still alive, the pain he knew Spock felt was mission accomplished enough to him. Once aboard the _Narada_, taking down this damaged ship would be easy enough. Taking out two birds with one stone. But first… how to get in contact range of the _Narada_? And how to do it discreetly?

"We're going to have to assume that every Federation planet is a target," Jim suddenly said, lying, making the Bridge crew look at him. "Not just Earth, but all of them. Nero poses as a threat to us all—all our planets. I say, we hunt him down, take control of his ship, and save Pike. With him back on our side and by disabling the _Narada_, we'll stall them for time." The eyes on him told Jim they all thought he was crazy.

"Your plan would be adequate," Spock began, "if it were not for the ship's advanced weaponry. We do not stand a chance against such brutal enemies."

"Yeah, Jim," came a familiar voice. Jim turned to see McCoy entered on to the Bridge, looking cleaner than before and changed in a new uniform. "we don't stand a chance against enemies that have a weapon that can destroy an entire planet."

Jim thought quickly. "But, if that was truly the case, why didn't they simply kill us since we were the last ship standing? I say we have a chance—an advantage—and we should take it while their guard is down." Jim knew his uncle must be waiting for another call from him. If only they could get within range!

Spock interrupted his thoughts. "He did not destroy us because he wanted me to see something: the destruction of my home planet."

"But that doesn't make much sense," Sulu said, coming in from behind McCoy. "Romulans haven't the technology for such a weapon." All fell silent, Spock falling into thought.

"Then perhaps the engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole is the answer itself: such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through spacetime." All eyes fell on him; Jim studied him warily. "Suggesting that our Romulan enemies are not from this time, but from the distant future." Jim's breath caught in his throat.

"You don't know that." Jim told him.

Spock shook his head and peered at him, 'If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains—however improbable—must be the truth." Jim felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Spock was figuring out too much.

"Then what would an angry future Romulan—not to say that he _is_—want with Captain Pike?" Jim demanded, trying to simmer down his growing anger.

Chekov spoke up before anyone else. "Keptin Pike knows details of Starfleet defenses. He kould utilize him wery effectiwly." That was stupid, Jim thought, his father knew everything about this time period. He didn't need Pike for any of that, did he? His own father wouldn't have sent him into Starfleet blind. That was suicide. The only reason that remained was Nero was giving Jim another chance to rectify his situation. And now with that time, he needed to get back to his home. Time was running out and his patience was wearing thin. He was growing sick of these Federation fuckers.

"Then that _proves_ that we need to catch up with them." Jim argued. "We need to get Pike back before they extract the information." He was growing desperate.

Spock still didn't agree. "Though it is true I would trust your instincts, Mr. Kirk, Captain Pike left us with standing orders to rendezvous with the fleet on the side of the quadrant. We're technologically outmatched in every way. A rescue attempt would be illogical."

"Yeah, that's probably true," Jim sarcastically bit off, "but if they're really from the future, as you illogically assume they are, then being unpredictable would be the best approach, no?"

Chekov shook his head, "But, Mr. Kirk, then you are suggesting we would hawe to arriwe thee momeent they break out of waarp. We do not hawe thee technologee to apprehend them while in waarp."

Jim waved him off. "That would be easy to by-pass. Just assign Engineering crews to boost the warp yield and—"

"Mr. Kirk, we are damaged with all remaining power and crew being used to make necessary repairs." Mr. Spock interrupted, "If we do not make these repairs soon, we will remain without ability to communicate with Starfleet. We _must_ report what has happened and gather with the rest of the fleet to balance the power for our next engagement."

Jim ran his fingers through his hair. "You're just not getting it, are you? There's not gong _be_ a next engagement if we don't do something now."

Spock stopped, looking him over carefully. "Your desperation is leading me to believe you know something we do not, Mr. Kirk. Perhaps you will care to elaborate upon your reasoning?" All conversation stopped, all eyes falling on him. Jim stared back uncertain when the confrontation happened. Was Spock pointing him out? Had he finally pieced everything together? Jim bit at his lips, unsure what to say. Was Spock calling his bluff?

"I know… just about as much as you do." Jim lied, trying not to look everyone in the eyes.

"Ah yes," Spock said, "as I figured, you are not going on logical evidence but an illogical 'feeling'. As you can not prove your reasoning, I will ask that you allow me to perform my duties and follow Captain's Pike's initial orders."

"You're making a mistake." Jim fought. "We're going to do exactly what Nero knows we will. By intercepting him we will—"

"You are assuming that Nero knows how events are predicted to unfold." Spock accused, making Jim stop mid-breath. Jim rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you _think_ he's from the future—"

"On the contrary, Mr. Kirk." Spock said again. "Nero _must_ be from the future, however, assuming he would know what we will and will not do is illogical. Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history since his arrival twenty-five years ago with his attack on the _USS Kelvin_. He has created a _new_ chain of events that can not be anticipated by either party—meaning that gathering with the rest of Starfleet has greater odds of survival than going after our enemies blindly."

"And you _know_ this?" Jim questioned, challengingly.

Spock nodded. "Nero has created an alternate reality. Whatever lives we may have had in this time was disrupted. There are no predictions to be made, only choices that could kill us all. I will not have you give orders on my ship, Mr. Kirk, that would bring harm to all that remains." Jim stared at him, angry that he had nothing else to say that could possibly make this fool change his mind. Telling Mr. Sulu to set a course for the rendezvous location, Jim turned around fiercely, heading for the turbolift. McCoy went after him.

He should have killed Spock when he had the chance, but his own pride had kept him from it. He wanted to watch the Vulcan suffer, but had forgotten the bastard felt nothing. His rebound rate was incredible, and now Jim had lost his chance entirely. His father and uncle were slipping away from him, leaving him aboard this damned ship with nothing to hope for. They would destroy earth, then destroy them. He'd die alongside Spock, never to see the face of Ayel again. Bones, he too, would perish because he had been too full of himself to actually commit himself to his mission.

He was a failure.

He deserved to die among them.

Hard hands gripped Jim's shoulders, throwing him into an office that Jim didn't known was in Sickbay until he looked around. When had he gotten there? The same hands then picked him up and threw him against the wall, making Jim angry and peer down at his enemy. The person staring back was Bones. Jim didn't know how to react.

"What the hell is going on, Jim?"

"You're the one that _threw_ me!"

"Shut it!" Bones barked, squeezing him. Jim did not appreciate his tone. "Ever since we've been on this ship, you've done nothing but crazy shit! And now, I want some explanations! What's going on? What do you know that we don't!" Jim looked at him with confusion. "Don't give me that look!" Bones seethed. "I've never seen you so passionate about something like this. You _knew_ getting within range of that ship would be suicide, and yet, you wanted to attempt it. So tell me, _Kobayashi_, what do you know that we don't? Why risk everyone's lives for a damn ego-filler!"

Bones shook him violently, making the tiny necklace under Jim's black shirt pop out and land on his chest in sight. That made both men stop, Jim squirming in the grip but stopping once realizing it was useless. He had been caught. McCoy stared at the tiny symbol, setting Jim down and releasing him. "That's a Romulan symbol." McCoy stated in a loose, unbelieving tone. "That's—that's a _Romulan_ symbol."

Jim swallowed something thick. It appeared the time for lies had stopped. There was no way to get out of this now. More lies would only dilute their friendship, their trust. It was time to come clean, not only for his benefit, but to regain McCoy's trust. "It is," Jim said when Bones said nothing further. "It means strength. My uncle made it for me." Yes, if he convinced McCoy now, maybe they could stop Spock together and take command of the vessel. He needed Bones now. It was sooner than he actually wanted, but with the _Narada_ getting further and further away, Jim decided now was better than waiting for another opportunity to pass by.

The doctor placed a wary hand on his forehead as if a headache was coming on. "Then what Mr. Sulu said… about you speaking Romulan… and all those Romulan traits… Jim," Bones looked up then, pleading with him, almost desperately, "tell me it isn't true! Tell me what I'm thinking isn't true!" Jim opted not to reply, the direction of conversation not going where he thought it would. Bones turned away, like ashamed of himself. "Are you working for the Romulans? Did they strike you a deal? Tell you that they'd set you free from your slave life if you infiltrated Starfleet as their spy?" He gripped Jim's shoulders tightly. "Tell me that's not true, Jim! Damnit, man! Tell me it _isn't true!_"

Well, it wasn't true. Jim told him just that. "It's not true, Bones." Jim said lowly. "In fact, none of it is. The slave life, the part about being a Kirk, all of it is a lie." He reached out and touched his friend's arm, squeezing to let him know he was there. "I'm a Romulan, Bones. Nero… he's my _father_. I was sent to earth to complete my mission. To destroy Starfleet for what they did to my home planet."

McCoy tore himself away. "You're the most Human looking Romulan I've ever seen. Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you—not to mention, they _proved_ your DNA a straight match for Winona Kirk. You can't get more Human than that!" Jim shook his head and removed the tiny DNA pill bottle from his person, displaying it for Bones to see, he needed to convince him a little more.

The doctor looked it over, then traded his sights back for Jim.

"Remember when I told you that I was going to ask something really huge from you?" Bones gave a nod. "Well, this is it. These pills, you see, they're DNA pills taken from the blood of Winona Kirk. I've been taking them since I was young so to fake the tests Starfleet would give me and let them falsely assume I was their child. In fact, I'm a half-Romulan. Nero is my father and Mandana, a Human, was my mother. I've been posing as this Kirk person to complete my mission." Jim paused. "And now my mission is coming to its end. I _have_ to return to the _Narada_, Bones, and I want you to come with me. That's my huge favour to ask of you. I want to spare you the death we've reserved for the Federation scum."

Bones was still looking at the pills in his hands. He didn't move, his only movements coming from his own breathing. "I want to believe you, Jim, I really do, but such medical technologies don't exist. You can't _hide_ someone's DNA like that."

Jim smiled. "But I did," he said. McCoy took the pills from him, Jim not having another chance to grasp them back as McCoy poured the tiny pills about the floor, some landing in his hands as he quickly threw a tricorder over it. Bones still didn't believe him.

And McCoy had every reason to be suspicious. If these pills didn't show some medical miracle he'd never heard of before, then his own theories would be true and he'd have to tell Jim what he suspected—that Jim could potentially be living a lie with those he was raised with, all of which Bones didn't want to do.

The tricorder blipped and Bones read the read-out. It was just as he thought, though Jim was unsuspecting and looked confident Bones had just confirmed his truths. "Jim, I," he began, but lost the words along the way. "Jim," he tried again, "the read-out has told me the truth, and I think it's time you were told it too." Jim's face twisted into confusion, then a smile, then confusion again. Bones continued, taking it slow and steady as he was sure his own theories were not about to taken lightly even with the evidence of the pills. "do you know what makes up the chemical composition of these pills?"

"Dr. Aev never told me, he said I wouldn't comprehend it."

"Well, Jim, I think you could comprehend this." He handed the tricorder to his friend and the blonde read it over. His eyes started off normal, then turned shadowed, then grimed.

"This must be a mistake." Jim said in disbelief.

"It's not," Dr. McCoy told him, "these pills are full of Human necessary amino-acids. Now, I'm not going to doubt for a second that you were actually raised by Romulans, Jim, nor am I going to say that you were entirely lied to, but these pills don't hold any chemicals that would enable you to cover your DNA." Jim looked as though he was turning white. "My guess is, due to the nature of these amino-acids, since you were brought up on Romulan food, you weren't getting the necessary vitamins that Human physiology needs, so your doctor whipped this up to compensate so you wouldn't _die_ while eating alien food. I'm sure the whole DNA pill thing was an after thought when they were setting up their plans."

Jim had frozen entirely, not moving, looking at the device in his hands in awe. Bones wanted to reach out and touch him, so he did to relax him, only to be met with hard eyes and a biting tone. "You mean to tell me… I _am_ James T. Kirk? For real?"

McCoy stared into the man's absent eyes. "Yes."

"And I'm _fully_ Human?"

"…Yes."

Jim turned away. "So my entire life… has been a lie inside of a _lie_?"

Bones faltered, feeling a hard knot in his throat before he finally answered. "Yes, Jim... I'm… sorry."

…

A/N – Long chapter is long! I wonder what Jim will do now? Will he believe Bones? I mean, Bones is his best friend after all. What do you think?


	11. Chapter 11

…

It couldn't be true.

No.

It _wasn't_ true.

If what McCoy was showing him was accurate, then that meant that everything Jim had been told since birth about his heritage was a lie. But even so, that didn't change the fact that Nero was his father—the Romulan had still raised him as his child, but… if Nero would lie to him about his heritage, didn't that mean that there wasn't any evidence to say he wouldn't lie about more? What else could he have been lied to about? And Ayel…

Ayel.

No. Ayel would never lie to him. Ayel trusted him as Jim trusted him in turn. His uncle would never do that to him. _Never_. It wasn't true! It was obvious now Nero had been right all along. Federation _Humans_ couldn't be trusted. And after all, Bones had brought his pill bottle to _him_, back in the holding cell, which means McCoy had _known_. He knew and said nothing, and instead of helping his dear friend, he'd turned against him for the sake of the Federation. _This_ was the real lie. Bones was a liar. And Jim had almost fallen for the trap. He was a fool to think he could be the companion of a Terran. Treachery. Lies. All of it.

"Jim?" Bones asked, placing a soft hand on Jim's shoulder; Jim snapped back, throwing the doctor's hand off of him. Tears stung their way to the surface, but Jim _refused_ to let them fall. He would not give McCoy the satisfaction of watching him crumble. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you're my friend; I care about you."

"Liar!" Jim shouted.

McCoy recoiled. "I care about you." He said again. "And I want to help you. We'll get through this—together."

"You're a _liar!_" Jim spat. "A fucking _liar!_ Uncle would never lie to me!" Bones' features turned to ones of fright, making him back up from Jim's fierce yelling. "It's _you_ who is the liar!" Jim drastically pointed, "You're Federation _scum!_ You're just like them! Trying to confuse me!" Jim fell to the floor, his head hurting too much from all the lies. How could he have not seen it sooner? He trusted Bones! He had _trusted_ him! Jim grasped his head, feeling something like a string had snapped within his skull. "My father _loves_ me! I'm his good son! He _loves _me! He _will love me!_"

"Jim…" His voice sounded distant, distraught. When Jim brought his eyes up, the doctor looked terrified of him, like he was seeing a horrible creature being mangled. And if the truth be told, that's how Jim felt. He felt he was on display for the Federation's enjoyment. Well, no more.

Jim stood, angry, but steady. No one could be trusted. As such, staying undercover was no longer a requirement. He'd _prove_ he was Romulan. He would _prove_ he was the son of Nero, a hero. He would earn his father's love.

Jim brushed past McCoy, heading straight for the exit. McCoy, bewildered, quickly went after him. "Where are you going?" He shouted to his friend, trying to catch up. Jim didn't stop, keeping his footing for the turbolift. "Jim! You're unstable! You're emotionally compromised! You need to stay in Sickbay! We'll figure this out together!" Jim ignored him, sprinting for the turbolift, and leaving McCoy behind in the dust.

"Jim! Stop! What the hell do you think you're doing!" The turbolift doors opened quickly and Jim threw himself inside, turning to see McCoy was coming after him. Jim smiled, knowing the Federation fucker wouldn't make it in time.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." His voice was barely audible, the look of pure fear in the doctor's eyes was enough to tell him he had heard it.

The turbolift doors shut just as McCoy caught up.

…

Acting Captain, Mr. Spock, sat in the command chair looking over the data. They were still a safe distance from the black hole, but hadn't left the Vulcan system yet. He knew it to be illogical, but Spock couldn't shake the feeling he felt before—like Jim Kirk was the missing piece of some huge cosmic puzzle.

He'd already called off his order to Mr. Sulu, the ship sitting like a stalemate. Now, he was considering his options. Though Mr. Kirk was a criminal, a fiend, and irrational, the Human had saved them from a battle with the criminal Nero. After that, Captain Pike had given his complete trust to the hacker, making Spock wonder if he had done the logical choice by disregarding Mr. Kirk's idea to run after the enemy ship.

It was illogical, crazy, and based on no facts. But, wasn't that the allure of the Human species? They had spoken profoundly to one another through the computer prompts, found so many things in common. Spock admitted it to himself, he was intrigued greatly by Kobayashi—but now Kobayashi had a face and a name: Jim Kirk. Why did he feel so drawn to him like a moth to a flame? Even after he lost his mother, it was Kirk who reminded him to stay strong. And now, here Spock was, not considering the advice from his Acting First Officer. Chris would be ashamed of him.

Somehow the pieces in his mind fell together as one. In that moment, Spock internally sighed and knew what he had to do. He would go to Mr. Kirk, apologize, and discuss the Acting First Officer's ideas on how they should approach and intercept the _Narada_. He only hoped it wasn't too late to make amends.

Spock stood up from the command chair the same moment the turbolift doors opened. He turned on his heels and saw it was the very person of his thoughts entering on the Bridge. Spock felt his heart flutter in anticipation that Mr. Kirk was coming to him, but his internal gratitude fell short when he gauged the look on the Human's face. Something was terribly wrong.

Jim Kirk stomped towards him, his greeting a hard fist slamming down towards his head. Mr. Spock used his reflexes, throwing his forearm up just in time to catch the hard hit. Jim recovered, and a fight ensued with a very, very baffled Vulcan Captain.

Another swing came towards his face, Mr. Kirk showing rage, but Spock avoided the collision and stepped back from the one-sided battle. He spun and twisted Mr. Kirk's next swinging arm, throwing the Human against his chest tightly, holding his arms delicately in each palm. Through his telepathic ability, Spock could feel confusion, anger, and a mix of sensations pouring from Jim Kirk. "Mr. Kirk, I will remind you that assaulting the Captain is a dischargeable offense." Jim didn't respond with words, but a loud grunt, then an unforgiving elbow to Spock's ribcage. The Vulcan recoiled, falling back and releasing Kirk.

Without warning, another fist aimed for his face, Spock catching it in his hand and staving off the power of the blow. The Bridge was moving around them, trying to get out of the way as the two fought. Some were gasping, others alerting security, and bewildered faces looking on to the scene.

Kirk threw his body weight on the Vulcan, making them fall back and collide with the science station. Mr. Kirk had him pinned, throwing fists at the Vulcan's face, but Spock kept craning his neck every which way to avoid them, succeeding marginally.

Using his strength, Spock turned the tables, flipping them over roughly until it was Jim Kirk's back plastered against the station, Spock straddling his hips to hold him down. "What is the nature of your dispute?"

"Fuck you!" Jim screamed, struggling in his grip.

"Is this how you have decided to handle my command authority?"

"No!" Jim bellowed, "This is how I decided to handle my revenge!" Kirk thrust forward, knocking the Vulcan off of him, the two falling to the floor and rolling under the other's relentless grips. After a few rolls, Spock retained control and pinned Kirk to the floor with his hands above his head. Small bruises were forming on the Human's body from their fall and minor rough-housing.

"Revenge," Spock began into the angry face, "would suggest I have done something previously to bestow hostility. I can not recall a time where I may have enraged you to account for your behaviour."

"That's because," Jim grunted, twisting then finally breaking free. He flipped them over harshly, now Spock was pinned to the floor. Jim brought his face close to Spock's, breathing right over his right pointed ear, "you haven't done it yet—and I won't let you do it again, Spock. I won't let you _kill_ her."

Fast hands released Spock's, and both fists came together to come down and strike the Vulcan's skull. Quickly, Spock deflected it by crossing his forearms over his face at just the right moment. Then using Kirk's own body weight, he threw Jim off of him, sending the Human colliding backward towards the command chair and falling into its seat.

With cat-like agility, while Jim was recovering from the harsh throw, Spock straddled him in the chair, pinning his legs together with his thighs and holding Jim's arms torturously on the armrests. Jim looked up at him with what only could be described and pure hatred. The emotional sensations he felt vibrate up his arms from the Human's restrained hands were enough to alert him this was real. Jim Kirk's hatred was a real thing.

Mr. Kirk fought for release. His face contorting in disgust and a sense of weaker strength. It was at this moment Spock saw it, a tiny Romulan symbol hanging down from Jim Kirk's neck. As much as he wanted to say it was, this couldn't be a coincidence. "You are one of them." Spock stated in a soft breath. Jim stopped moving only to smile and laugh angrily.

"Finally figured it out, eh Spock?" Jim spat. "Want to know why I singled you out? Why I hacked into the computer systems? Why I bothered to talk with you?" Spock stared into his harsh, deep blue eyes like the pit of fiery flames meeting their hottest point. "It's not because I _liked_ you. I did it because I wanted to find your weak points. Single you out and _murder _you. _You_ are my enemy. Have been since the day I was born. I am James T. Kirk, son of Nero of Romulus. I've been sent from the future to destroy you before you have a chance to destroy my planet, my home, my people, my _mother_." Jim inched his face forward so he was deadly close to the Vulcan's lips, but his body was still forced back in the chair. "How did it _feel_, Spock? Watching your mother die? Your planet slowly implode into a black hole of my people's revenge?" Spock felt his heart stop, and his grip tightened subconsciously on Kirk's wrists. Jim looked down at them, smiling at the squeezing and red/white splotches that were forming on his hands. "Yes, you feel it now, don't you? The pain of loss and suffering. Now you know how I've felt for twenty-five years. You now share my pain—you and every surviving Vulcan."

Spock's mind was so clouded from the realization as he put two and two together, that he didn't have time to react when Jim Kirk pushed him to the floor, crawling over his form like a pleased lion. Spock sat up on his elbows, looking into the face of his mother's murderer. His eyes, he knew, were wide, and his heart sank from his side to his thighs.

"But don't worry, Spock," Mr. Kirk purred, using one of his hand to caress the Vulcan's cheek like a betrothed. "I am a man of honour, a Romulan of true civility and I understand your loss. I _know_ your pain. Allow me to end your suffering." Jim inched closer, brushing his breath over the Vulcan's forehead and bringing their lips close enough to suck each other's air. "I will bring you peace." He whispered delicately, Spock unaware that the Human was pulling up a fallen stylus and gripping it like a deadly knife. All the Vulcan could focus on were the eyes glaring into him, as if he were Medusa and turning him to stone. His voice felt caught, and his muscles didn't react. Caught in the snake's deadly glare.

Jim seductively pronounced each syllable. "Say hello to your mother for me." Then Spock saw it, Kirk's hand rising with the stylus and readying it to thrust into his body. Time stood still, and the stylus was thrown forward, aiming straight for his side where his heart pounded like a tight drum.

Time stopped.

Someone shouted, someone screamed, but the voice wasn't his own. Spock blinked to reality and saw the hand with the stylus was being held back by another gripping hand. Following it, the hand led to none other than Dr. McCoy. His face was drawn deep with anger and pity.

"Bones!" Jim seethed, trying to twist his hand from the grip, but McCoy didn't release him. Instead he used all his might and pulled Jim Kirk up from the floor, off of Spock, and threw him unabashedly towards the wall where McCoy tackled him, using his body to hold Kirk captive, one arm to put pressure across Kirk's throat while the other twisted and clawed the wrist of the hand still holding the stylus. After much struggling, cursing, and biting grunts, Kirk let go of the stylus and it fell to the floor. Both men were heaving, and Spock could only watch as Mr. Sulu and Mr. Chekov helped him from the floor.

"Romulan or Human," McCoy hesitated, "Jim Kirk is still my best friend. Whether belonging to a slave trading ring or raised on a ship of Romulans; Jim Kirk is still my best friend." He barely whispered. "Living a lie or accepting the truth… Jim," he said pleadingly into the Human's eyes, "_you're_ my best friend. I love you, man. I would do anything for you. So please," he begged, the first sounds of a choking sob leaving his mouth, "please," he begged again, "let me help you. See the truth, Jim. I only want to help you."

Mr. Kirk didn't reply, but ceased his struggling, falling limp in McCoy's grip. The entire Bridge looked on, Spock literally feeling the emotions sweeping from the doctor even at their great distance. So much pain. Seconds felt like minutes before anything further was said.

"It's too late for me," Kirk uttered lowly, "I've already blown my cover and my father is not returning to get me. I'm a failure. Father will never love me now."

"Jim," Bones pleaded, releasing him from the wall and letting the man stand on his own. Jim's eyes dragged to the floor, heavy and silent. Then slowly, his eyes picked up, dropped down, and before McCoy could get another grasp on him, Kirk fell down and rolled across the floor, picking up the stylus in his hands once more and brutally thrusting the object into McCoy's back. The doctor wailed, falling against the wall in shock, awe, and the entire Bridge lit once again in panic.

"Wh—why?" McCoy choked as he tried to hold back the pain of his attack. Jim Kirk smiled down at the doctor, petting his head.

"I liked you, Bones. It's too bad you didn't decide to join me. We could have used a guy like you on our side." He laughed, kicking the doctor once. "But you're such a weak Human!" He laughed, turning his eyes to Spock who had readied himself for another fight. "And you'd only get in my way." His words were deadly, betraying. "And now, Spock. Let's finish this. Both of our planets are destroyed, both our mothers killed by the other. Oh, this is wonderfully even now!" He laughed again, his eerie banter sinking in Spock's mind like poison. "You and me, Spock." He punctuated with a point to the Vulcan and then to himself. "Let's go."

There was no turning back, Mr. Kirk's intentions now clear. One had already been hurt by this fight, and Spock didn't want to cause harm to more. He was about to agree when he saw a large security team burst through the turbolift doors. Someone had called them. Just as they went for Kirk, Spock stalled them. "No!" He ordered. "Do not touch Mr. Kirk." The officers around him stopped in wonder. "He is my enemy and I will deal with him."

Jim smiled. "You are a man of honour. It's a pity you have to die."

"We shall see." Spock responded and a circle formed around them of spectators as both men readied themselves for another brawl. They walked around each other, sizing the other up.

"So you admit that you are Romulan." Spock stated as they circled again. "And you say that you are from the future, where a future me has destroyed your planet and killed your mother."

Jim nodded. "This is sad, but true."

"And you seek revenge upon me, the younger version of your foe, to save a future existence of your person?"

Jim chuckled. "Bingo."

Spock continued. "If that was truly your intentions, then why did you not kill me when you had the chance? You've been enrolled for three years at the Academy. Surely, a person of your advanced knowledge could have located me sooner and fulfilled your duties."

Jim shook his head. "I like to have fun. Leading you on into a sense of security was my first step. Killing you would have been on the, oh, maybe the second date."

"So you planned your downfall as Kobayashi Alternative, planned your escape, and your boarding of this ship to take command for Romulus? Where did my death fit into these obscure plans?" Jim laughed and stopped moving, facing his enemy head-on.

"You know, you're a lot funnier when you're pissed off and scared. And you should be. I'm a pretty terrifying guy."

Spock raised a single brow. "You are hardly frightening, Mr. Kirk. If anything, this battle is out of pity for twenty-five years of misguided hatred. Tell me, should your anger really be directed towards my person when your father, Nero, could have helped you? He could have requested you to come aboard with Captain Pike and you would be home again, leaving a ship your father could destroy to his liking."

"That's a good one, Spock, but you don't know my father."

Spock held himself back, studying his enemy. "And neither do you, apparently." That made the Human's features darken. "Your father was more than capable twenty-five years ago to destroy me. If he knows so much about this time, he could have destroyed Vulcan then using the same weapon he used on Vulcan today. Your father is the coward. Your father is the one that lacks honour. He must find you most displeasing if he would send you into Federation space without the proper knowledge of your enemy."

He saw it, Jim gulped. "It must be difficult living a life where your father doesn't respect you. You said you wished to earn your father's love. Killing me is the only option for this? It sounds logical that your father is using you—using you to do what he was too cowardly to do. _Murder_ me." Kirk's eyes turned into dark shadows. He thought if it was possible, the man would be growling right now.

"That is it, is it not? Nero is a coward." Spock stated, hoping to ruffle the Human's already angered behaviour.

"You will hold your tongue." Jim bit.

"Nero was too much a coward to kill me himself. So he sent you, after all, his own son would logically be expendable compared to his own flesh."

"Shut _up_, Vulcan."

"And why lose his command when he can save himself and murder his enemy from afar? That, logically, fits the definition of a coward to me." That had done it; Kirk launched himself forward, Spock just barely evading his swinging body. The Vulcan turned, anticipating another throw and ducked below a harsh kick, getting under Kirk's legs and tossing him to the floor.

Kirk rolled away, getting back up with angry eyes aligning with his. He lurched forward, tackling Spock and both hitting the floor once more. They rolled, officers trying to move out of their way. Finally, Spock gasped when his back hit the floor cruelly, Jim Kirk once again pinning him down. "You're all liars!" Jim shouted. "You don't speak the truth!"

Spock stared up at him, their eyes locking and breaths matching in their exhales. "Are you certain, Mr. Kirk? Does your anger not reveal some doubt?" Kirk's blue stare faltered, widening as if Spock had punched him in the gut. He hesitated, and that was opening enough for Spock.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around Kirk from behind, holding the struggling enemy in place while Spock removed himself from under Mr. Kirk and stood. Jim fought, shouted, and turned to see the one who had grasped him was McCoy. He was still bleeding, but held his friend tightly. Jim bellowed, howling, trying to shake the injured man off of him. But it was for naught.

Spock approached, looking into the doctor's eyes that begged him silently to end this. And he complied. The Vulcan leaned down, grasping Jim's nape in his hand and ended the pitiful fight using the Vulcan Nerve Pinch. Jim went still, and fell to the floor.

No one said anything. The Bridge in silence.

"Get him off my ship." Spock ordered.

…

"Thank you Nurse Chapel," McCoy said begrudgingly when she finished with the dermal regenerator over his back wound. She was silent, but understood he wished to be alone. She left, excusing herself and leaving a sedative hypo by his medbay bed in case he was in more pain. McCoy looked at the hypo, staring at it as if it held all the answers in the world.

By now, Jim had been deployed in an escape pod to Delta Vega, a planet in the Vulcan system. It seemed, ironically, Bones got his wish. Jim was safe, safe on an ice ball where he would remain until all the Nero bullshit subsided.

_Jim…_

Though his back was in horrible pain, it didn't compare to the pain he had felt in his heart the moment he had to restrain his dear friend. Nothing would ever compare to that moment. His friend had been so upset, so sure, and had been reduced to an emotional mass of confusion. All Bones could do was pity the man for his ignorance and hate Nero under the surface for lying to the poor kid his whole life.

The Sickbay doors opened quickly, Bones hardly taking notice until he saw a figure in front of him. He looked up and saw Spock, standing rigidly before him. McCoy glanced away.

"I don't know if you've been told, _Captain_, but the CMO's been injured. If you're sick or in pain, call Nurse Chapel." Silence.

"I did not come here to seek medical assistance."

"Then why the hell are you in Sickbay?" Bones drawled, diverting from the real reason he assumed. Spock didn't give a reply right away, instead straightening his back and taking a step back as if he offended him.

"I came here to acknowledge your difficulties. I understand that Jim Kirk was a close friend to you."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "Are you _thanking_ me?"

"I am merely taking note of your troubles and to see how your wound is healing." Here, the Vulcan walked around him and studied the wound. There was scar tissue, he knew, and he'd wear it forever, but McCoy didn't take offense to it quite as much as Spock was implying. "I am… apologetic that he betrayed you in order to attack me."

McCoy scooted over, patting the bed beside him and inviting the Vulcan to sit. Spock stared at it, unsure what to do. McCoy gave a huff and pat the bed again, this time Spock acknowledging it and, slowly, taking the offered seat. When he was settled, McCoy began.

"He didn't betray me." The announcement made the Vulcan look up.

"How can you say that when he, literally, stabbed you in the back?"

McCoy smirked, looking out into the Sickbay unit. "Because, it's just like I said. Jim didn't betray me. If he had, I wouldn't be sitting here right now." The Vulcan was neutral, but somehow Bones knew he still didn't quite get what he meant. "If Jim had really wanted to betray me, he would have killed me. He had the chance, the opportunity, but the stylus went straight through." McCoy mocked it by using his hands as examples. "He missed all my organs, didn't scratch my vertebrae—it was a clean shot. Accidents like that don't happen naturally, which means Jim had _meant_ to miss everything. He didn't want to kill me, he just wanted me out of the way temporarily."

Spock nodded in thought. "You are suggesting what you told him may have gotten through to him?"

McCoy shook his head. "No. I'm saying that the moment I told Jim his pills were shit and not some medical miracle DNA cover-up, I'd planted the seed out doubt. I made him realize that perhaps what he'd been told all his life wasn't true. That maybe he's been pitching for the wrong team." McCoy said.

Spock studied him curiously. "You referred to pills. Mr. Kirk has been on medications?"

"No, you don't understand. You see, a year ago I found some odd pills he'd been taking, figuring he was a druggie or something, but—you know—I trusted him, so I threw that idea out. But then, when he told me he was Romulan, had been raised by Romulans as a spy and was only faking to be related to the Kirks, that's when I sampled the pills and found out they were Human necessary amino-acids. Proving Jim had been raised by anyone but Humans, but also that someone hadn't been telling Jim the truth."

Spock nodded again. "I see, so you are suggesting that Mr. Kirk has not accepted that he has possibly been a pawn in Nero's plans since birth?"

"Yeah," McCoy agreed, "that's why I think your words really hit home with him. I think he's beginning to doubt his life, his father, his everything. And something also tells me he's been abused, possibly by Nero since all he seems to want is the guy's love."

Both went silent, the room crowding in on them. McCoy felt the worst of it. "I…" Spock began unsteady, "I believe I can relate." McCoy glanced up, not knowing what the Vulcan was talking about, but the neutrality cracked just enough to let something small and Human peek through. "I think I am beginning to understand him." Spock then said into the silence. "If your theories are accurate, I regret that Mr. Kirk's ignorance will be his downfall. Logically, he would not trust us against the words of those he has considered family since his birth."

McCoy grimly nodded. "That's why I let you shoot him off the ship. Originally, I was gonna suggest we detain him in the brig, but, I don't think that will help change his mind about us." He looked off into Sickbay, looking at nothing in particular. "Whatever answers Jim needs, I don't think he'll find them here. I think he needs to find them on his own." Bones shook his head. "I only pray he'll find them."

More silence.

McCoy sighed, getting off the bed and holding out a hand to the Vulcan. "Do you mind?" He asked. Spock shook his head and took the offered hand, showing slight surprise through his eyes when the doctor pulled him into a small embrace.

"Dr. McCoy—I—"

"Do Vulcans mourn?" He asked into his neck.

"No—we are without emotion—"

"Yeah? Well, Humans do. Let me cry, Captain. I've been holding them back for too long… and I have… _no one else._" And McCoy started slow, increasing until he was in a sob on the Vulcan's chest. Spock didn't know how to react, feeling the various emotions spill over the doctor's surface, but he allowed it. He even went as far as to place his hands about the doctor and let him cry. Little did McCoy know that Spock was using him as a proxy, to not only cry for the loss of a dear friend, but the loss of Vulcan, Spock's people, and Spock's mother.

Together they cried, with only Bones showing his true tears.

…

The first thing that hit Jim was how cold he was. The next was his field of vision, slowly blurring to focus. He felt confined, closed, and uncomfortable. He lolled his head over to the side, observing he was inside an escape pod of the _Enterprise_.

Fucking brilliant.

"Computer," Jim began in a hoarse voice, "Where am I?" He asked when he saw out the window that he was in a completely white area, possibly a hole of some sort.

"_Apologies, Mr. Kirk,"_ said the female computer voice, _"but all voice-command abilities have been voided."_

"What? By who?"

"_Acting Captain Spock."_

Jim rolled his eyes. "Of course."

"_Your orders are to remain in the escape pod until Starfleet authorities come for you."_

"Yeah? Well, I got a better idea: shove it up your diodes." Jim practically snarled as he pushed open the pod's front, allowing in a terribly freezing air. A small bag was behind his seat, a survival kit, so Jim took it with him as he exited the craft.

His impact crater wasn't large, but it was deep within all the _white_ around him. If his memory served correctly, this white stuff was frozen water: snow. Jim had always wanted to see snow, but not like this. Now he'd always relate snow to horrible things. Pity since the frozen crystals were so beautiful.

His breath came out as puffs of white in the frost. It was so cold. Hefting the survival kit over his shoulder, Jim approached the frozen impact wall, gazing up to see he was in for a small climb. His fingers already felt numb, but not as numb as his mind. As he took to the wall to start a climb out of the crater, all he could remember was his fight with that bastard Vulcan. It was safe to assume the fucker was still alive, but then, Jim had to wonder what the hell the guy had done to him and how he got in the snow.

The last thing he remembered was Spock's hand reaching for his neck, then blackness. What had happened? One thing was for certain, whatever he had done, it put so much pain in Jim's shoulder. When he found a way out of here, he would be sure to make certain their next confrontation kept the Vulcan's hands at bay.

That was, _if_ he found a way out.

Jim crawled out onto the snowy surface, snow blowing around him like annoying flecks of paper. He stood, turned, and looked around himself. The snow went for miles, the sky above him as white as the snow. He could see nothing.

"That _bastard_ put me in the middle of fucking _nowhere_…" There were no land marks, hardly any mountains that could be distinguished from the rest of the damn scenery, and nothing to tell him where he was. Pissed, he looked up into the sky once more and saw a distant planet dancing in the distance. He recognized it immediately and now knew where he was.

"He marooned me on Delta Vega." Jim half-laughed to himself. "That son of a bitch _marooned_ me on a fucking ice ball. Great!" Jim shouted. "Your fucking coward!" He shouted to particularly no one, the sound of the blizzard silencing his echo. "You should have just _killed_ me!"

Jim dropped to his knees and began sifting through the survival kit, thankful to find a large, warm coat. He pulled it on one sleeve at a time, cursing to the Vulcan he knew couldn't hear him. "You made a mistake, Spock!" He called, buttoning himself up. "Since I'm alive, it only leaves time for me to hunt you down and continue my mission!" Once finished, he turned and looked up to the sky. "Ya hear me? You should have killed me! _Death_ would have been better than freezing my ass off! In fact, I'd have _prefer_ it!"

As if on cue, and some cosmic deity hadn't thought he'd suffered enough, the ground beneath Jim's cold boots began to rumble. Jim paused, looking around for the source, but finding none. It stopped, not bringing Jim much comfort. With a wary eye, he looked around again, the rumbling starting up again and becoming hard like quakes.

A loud cracking and shrill exploded behind him. Jim hastily turned and saw the surface had broken, and from it was crawling out a large, red, creature—at least thirty feet tall! A face like an octopus—full of teeth, tentacles, and eyes. And the body—blood red and shaped like a reptile. The creature, a native to Delta Vega, stomped its large feet in Jim's frozen direction, then opened its tentacle mouth and roared, showing all its deadly sharp fangs.

Jim was frozen stiff. "I changed my mind, Spock," he said low to himself, slowly backing up from the snarling creature, "_I prefer life!_" He quickly turned in the opposite direction, running away from the giant creature that was now on his tail. The snow pounded beneath him, the creature roaring and growling behind. He felt the ground shake with every stomp the creature made.

Jim only looked over his shoulder once and saw the beast gaining on him. He tried to run faster, his legs aching with every step. He ran and ran, his breath running out quickly, but could _feel_ the creature's shadow coming over him! Jim turned to look back again, just in time to see the creature lunge forward to snap at him—but Jim dived forward into the snow, the creature missing him and planting its head harshly into the snow surface. The weight of the creature had been so strong, it broke the snowy surface, showing that Jim had been running over some kind of frozen lake, but that wasn't what took the breath from his lungs. The surface cracked like a huge see-saw, the creature pushing the ice down, and Jim being unfortunate enough to be on the other side, the ice sending him up like in a catapult and flinging him through the air.

He went up and up, then yelled as he came crashing down, hitting soft snow on what looked to be an ice shelf. Since he didn't land on a flat surface, he was now sliding down a huge icy hill, the creature recovering behind him.

Jim tumbled down the snowy hill, getting all kinds of cold and wet into his coat, but not caring as long as it got him away from that beast! When he finally slid to the bottom, Jim quickly got up, out of breath, and looked up at the creature high on the top still, growling and howling at him below. Jim lightly laughed and smiled, catching his breath.

"You're not so tough." Jim mumbled to the beast, chuckling at its disadvantage of being stuck on a large hill. Jim turned away, looking at his new surroundings and seeing some caves in the distance. Shelter would be wonderful right about now. He began slowly walking towards it, sure of his escape and laughing at himself for being so frightened, when he was brought to a skidding halt.

_CRACK!_

He turned on his heels and looked up with blaring eyes to the creature. The beast was howling and was so heavy it was breaking the ice shelf, and now was sliding down into the snow valley!

"Fuck." He said uncharacteristically calm—then began another mad dash for the nearest cave. The creature, now with new footing in the valley, began once again on his hunt, Jim running desperately to get away. The creature was gaining.

He didn't look back this time, squeezing his eyes shut and cursing every Romulan god he knew, all Vulcans, and whatever the hell those little green tree-like things were that McCoy loved to eat with rice. Jim couldn't feel his feet, and his chest was burning like a thousand suns, but he kept on, running—running.

Jim made it to the cave, thankful for some good luck, and dashed inside, running into its depths in hopes the creature couldn't follow. No such luck, though, as directly after Jim made it inside, the beast roared and broke through the cave's entrance, still hot on his heels. Jim cursed loudly, panicking, still running! He needed to get to safety! There had to be some small nook or cranny somewhere he could hide!

But before Jim could confirm that, his weight lurched forward, his feet whipping out from under him as he hit the harsh, ice ground. He began sliding towards the opposite direction and Jim twisted, seeing that a long, slimy tongue had caught his foot. The tongue led directly to an opened mouth, full of teeth and pain, Jim shouting and cursing as the tongue inched him closer to the mouth.

Jim twisted again, trying to gain purchase on anything, grasp a hold on anything, but slipped on the ice, moving closer to his death. He was about to be lunch for the beast! Fear shook him to the core, his entire life flashing before his eyes as the thought he'd never seen anyone he loved ever again crippled him. He thrashed and kicked, trying to get away, close to gnawing his own leg off if it was needed.

He was _not_ going to die this way!

Just as Jim was about to consider the best method to detach his own leg, he found he didn't need to. A strange figure came from nowhere, bursting out on to the scene, a torch in hand as they stomped on the gripping tongue and waved it violently in front of the beast. The tongue quickly released him, rolling back into the beast's mouth like slurping a noodle as it roared and growled at the blazing fire.

The figure kept at it, swishing the torch every which way to frighten the creature. Jim used the opportunity to crawl further away, looking at the stranger who was saving his life. The beasts roared one last time, apparently not tough enough to face the evolution of fire, and ran from the cave like a scared puppy. The stranger still chased it a few steps, making sure the monster was thoroughly frightened and wouldn't be returning. When it was safe again, an eerie silence filling the cave, did any one speak.

"The Hen-Gra." The stranger said in a husky, elderly male voice. "Notoriously afraid of heat." Jim breathed, trying to regain his breath. He sat up, still focused on the stranger. Wasn't Delta Vega uninhabited? Why would another person be here?

"Yeah," he heaved, not really caring about the improbability of it all, "thanks."

"It was no problem, only a minor—" the figure turned slowly, the torch lighting up wrinkled features, deep characteristics and specific shapes and contours Jim had had burned into retinas since he could comprehend thoughts. "—inconvenience…" The elderly man's voice dropped off, as if stunned. Jim too, lost the air in his lungs as everything he had ever learned rushed to the front of his mind.

Both men stared at the other in utter quiet, as if they were seeing ghosts. It couldn't be true! His eyes must have been lying! There was no way—

The man who had saved his life…

…was _Ambassador Spock._

…


	12. Chapter 12

A/N – Sorry for the delayed update—but now begins the shifting winds of loyalty. Will Jim find the truth or only believe what he's been told? Will he try to kill again or will he suffer from the selfishness of his own father? Which path will he choose?

…

He knew that face. There was no mistake. All the holographs he had seen, all the nightmares that had been caused by those exact creases and eyes—it was Ambassador Spock. His planet's—his people's—his _mother's_ murderer.

Without hesitation, Jim picked himself up from the cold ground, keeping his eyes focused on the distinguished features before him. No one said a word, as if silence was their only neutrality. What was he doing here? Alive? Hadn't it been in their plans for him to be killed? Hadn't his father…?

Ambassador Spock, silent, studied him too, as though he was seeing him for the first time—and technically he was since they'd never met before. It didn't account for the slightly widened eyes or the curious brow. Then Jim's eyes fell over in shadow. There could only be one reason why the old bastard was here.

He must have escaped.

_Just like before._

"It's _you._" Jim growled, clenching his fists as he thought of ways he could murder the guy with only his surroundings. The words seemed to throw the old Vulcan for a loop, his brow tipping slightly.

The Vulcan spoke to him low and gentle. "'You' is a vague pronoun and does not tell me who you think I am. Given our circumstances, I do believe it would be safe to assume that I am not who you think. I am…" he trailed off, as if preparing his words, "not from here."

Jim darkly laughed, looking around at his scenery once before laying his eyes back on the confused and curious elder. "You're _exactly_ who I think you are," Jim sneered, readying himself for a fight, "_Spock._" The name was said with every ounce of hate and disgust he could fathom. The single syllable with its derogative connotations was enough to make Spock's eyes give away slight emotion. Surprise.

"There is no logical explanation to account for how you would know my name."

"That's because you haven't met me until now." Jim told him. "But I've known about you my whole life!" He approached the Vulcan, stalking him like an angry tiger. "Your name is the poison that makes my blood red. Your face is the ghost that haunts my sleep. You are the reason why I was born to a loveless father and a dead mother!" The words, if they could, made Spock back up until he was cornered between the icy cave wall and blocked by Jim.

"So how did you do it this time, _Spock?_" Jim demanded the stiff form. "How did you escape my father this time? Use another black hole to swallow my home? Did you run away scared when my father appeared at your exact time location? Or did you just _give_ him the Red Matter to spare your worthless Vulcan life!"

Spock's eyes widened and his brows raised high. "How do you know of the Red Matter? I do not understand what you are talking about or how you know what you do."

Jim gripped the Vulcan's winter coat harshly, thrusting the old Spock back against the icy wall and baring his teeth with fury. "You want to know how? I'll tell you how! Because I am the son of the Romulan who's planet you destroyed! I am the heir of his hatred for Spock of Vulcan! I am the new beginning to your end!" Jim shook him violently. "And I will make sure you _pay_ for all the crimes you've committed!"

Spock fell into the Vulcan equivalent of awe. "Nero…" he barely whispered. "You are speaking of the Romulan Nero—but how can this be?"

Jim answered for him. "Because _you_ fucked up my life. And now it's time I returned the favour!" Confusion flared over the Vulcan's gaze, but didn't stop him from throwing his elderly arm up to block Jim's unanticipated fist. It crashed over his old bones, only causing slight pain. The stuffing of his winter coat helped to block most of the fury.

Jim tackled him against the wall, anger and wrath pouring from his swinging fists. Elder Spock managed to block most of the blows, and when it looked like Jim needed a breath, he took the opportunity to pushed back against Jim's legs and topple the boy so he could evade the abuse.

Jim toppled backward, but it didn't stop him. He came back at the elder again, this time throwing out his feet in kicks, landing some on the Vulcan's shins and one in the gut. Spock, having some air knocked out of him, bent forward clutching his stomach. When he looked up, another fits was aiming for his face, but at the last moment, he threw his arm up in defense and blocked yet another deadly blow.

Spock stood up his full height and back-stepped to dodge more kicks and fists. Jim was brimming so deeply with hate that the emotional tidal waves nearly caused him to take on the emotional transference whipping about them like sea-blown wind.

"It's because of _you_ father doesn't love me!" Jim bellowed, punching the elder in his side and throwing him up against an icy wall. "You killed her! You killed my mother! It's all because of _you!_" More hits, and with Spock cornered against the wall, he couldn't dodge the swings as he wanted, taking each blow straight and hard. He coughed, breathed harshly, and let the hate rain down on him. Spock would not fight back.

Jim grasped his collar and used all his strength to force the elder Vulcan to look him in the eye. "I will _kill_ you." Jim seethed. "Romulan death debt does not transcend to those that brought us initial harm. Honour will not save you."

Spock coughed when another fist punched him in the stomach. "I—will not ask—_cough_—for such honour…" He looked terrible, bruised, and out of breath. Jim admired his handiwork and smiled knowing he would soon bring the Vulcan peace. Jim reached over and tore off a large, heavy icicle, perfect for bludgeoning to death. The time was now. He raised the icicle high, the chilling cold of the ice seeping through his hand. Spock looked up at the weapon, but shown nothing beyond fatigue.

"I have grown old," Spock began in near whispers, "and I… can not fight you. I will accept that you believe I have wronged you… I will also accept death, but only by your hands—_Jim_." Jim hardly heard the last words before he swung the ice down to smash against the Vulcan's skull, but like time itself had stopped, the words pierced through his ears just in time for Jim to stop the weapon mere millimetres from the Vulcan's face.

Time froze.

Jim lowered the weapon, the weight finally taking form in his cold hand. "What did you call me?" Jim asked, confused.

If Spock was stalling for time, he was doing it well by taking a moment to steady his rapidly beating heart. "I called you Jim; Jim Kirk is your name."

Jim dropped the icicle, released the coat, and scampered back as though it had been him who received a harsh punch in the gut. His eyes turned frightened, and his skin a bloodless white. No… it couldn't be true!

"Jim," Spock began, reaching out for the boy, but Jim took another step back.

"No, no," he chanted, "that… that can't be true. You," he said with a distant point, "you can't know my name. It's not possible. There wasn't enough time—and Bones… Jim Kirk—Uncle, he—no," Jim shook his head, turning away from his enemy to gather his thoughts. He was speaking incoherently, and not making any bit of sense to even himself. How did Spock know his name? He was a Romulan, born from a Human and made by that of a Human/Romulan hybrid. His family could have chosen _any_ name to give him before sending him to earth, Jim Kirk only being the most convenient since they had the mother's blood. Spock couldn't have known about any of that since his arrival time was twenty-five years after his birth. This wasn't making sense. He hadn't given his name to him, and there could be no recognition since this was the first time they had ever met face to face.

Was what Bones said true? Were the pills really fakes? Was he _really_ this Jim Kirk person through and through? No! He was _Romulan!_ But Spock knew his name, he could only know his name if he recognized him as…

Jim spun around, wetness clouding his vision, he was still very angry, but Spock hadn't taken the opportunity to escape. He stood there, looking Jim over carefully, not paying any attention to his own wounds. Spock could have easily gotten the name from his uncle or father upon being on the _Narada_, however, there were no records of Jim Kirk's life aboard the _Narada_, which is why Jim hadn't known Jim Kirk to have a brother or who his fake father and mother were to the Federation. If Spock knew this information, only being here a few hours, that would mean he knew it before he arrived and make the theories true. It would mean he had been lied to and he really was this Jim Kirk person.

"What do you know about me?" Jim demanded while trying to hold back a sob.

Spock paused, looking unsure what to say. "I am uncertain which facts pertain to you, but the Jim Kirk I knew was Human, born to George and Winona Kirk in 2233; you have a brother named George Samuel Kirk you playfully call Sam."

"Lucky guess," Jim sneered, trying to hold back all the emotion he felt. "But that doesn't explain how you recognized me unless you heard my father or uncle tell you my name, and godsohelpyou, Vulcan, that is the only theory I'm believing right now."

Spock stopped, considering this. He stepped closer, but Jim stepped back. He paused again, thinking carefully. "Neither the ones you call your father or uncle told me your name." He told him. "I recognized your face the moment we met. I have known you for many years, Jim, and time could never alter my perception of you, just as it could not your loyal friend Leonard McCoy."

That made Jim's heart stop. "How do you know about Bones? How did you know his name! You _can't_ know anything about him! He doesn't relate to Romulus or Nero, or our time period!" He was beginning to panic, the tears stinging into his eyes.

"On the contrary," Spock said, taking a bold step forward, "I have been and always shall be your friend, Jim. I knew you in my time along with Dr. McCoy. You two were my best friends, as I am sure the good doctor is to you now."

Jim shook his head, "You can't know that! That' wasn't apart of any plans! That was all _my_ doing! You can't know any of that!" So it was true? He was the real Jim Kirk? That was the only explanation that could possibly account for the Vulcan's knowledge, but then that meant his family had lied to him. _Ayel_ had lied to him…

"I know this is hard to take," Spock said, but Jim cut him off.

"Hard? _Hard?_ You're telling me my life is lie! That I'm _really_ Jim Kirk, that both my parents are Human and that I've been trying to murder a guy that had nothing to do with my actual life! That the shuttle story of Winona Kirk's death was by no means a coincidence that my father's story also involves a _shuttle and the birth of a baby!_ Winona Kirk had been expecting at the _same exact time_ as Nero's wife! That means you're telling me I was ripped from my Human mother's womb and raised among the ones that killed her! That my entire existence is a _lie _upon a _lie!_ This goes beyond hard! You're having me question everything I've ever thought about!" Jim began sobbing, "and I trust Bones beyond no belief, and he says my pills are not full of DNA. There's no way you both could believe I'm really Jim Kirk being from different universes!"

He shook his head and tears slid out from his eyes. At some point, Spock had gotten as close as he dared. "Then if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains—however improbable—must be the truth."

Jim choked a laugh grimly. "Younger You said the exact same thing…" Jim sobbed.

Spock took his shoulders warmly. "You are Jim Kirk; Human; and not the son of Nero or any Romulan for that matter. This is the truth, Jim, now you must see it."

"No," Jim cried, "it isn't true…" he pleas were becoming weak with his growing tears. His whole life had been nothing but a lie! "Nero is my father… Ayel is my uncle…" Spock took him into a tight embrace, letting the Human's head fall onto his breast. "You are my—en-ne-my…" he choked over the syllables as more tears fell from him. Spock held him close. "I hate you," he said lightly, like a crying two-year-old who was getting over a temper tantrum, "I hate you," he repeated with a weak hit to the older Vulcan's chest also very child-like. He repeated this several time, Spock trying to shush him and rocking him as though he were a child. And Jim let him hold him. Crying silently into his enemy's chest as the puzzle pieces of his entire life and coincidences fell into place.

…

The entire time Spock set up the fire, Jim had remained in the far corner of the cave, sitting on the icy floor with his knees pulled up to his face with a distant expression. His eyes, though blue and not hazel like the Jim Kirk he had known from his time, were far away. The boy's face was unreadable, emotionless, and terribly, terribly sad.

Once the fire was complete, Spock sat before it and beckoned lightly for Jim to join him. At first, Jim didn't hear him, but the second request was met with a silent nod and the Human brought himself to the other side of the burning flames. Jim Kirk stared into the fire absently, still holding his knees close to himself.

Spock didn't think Jim would ever speak again given the situation, and was surprised when he heard the Human's voice croak. "It all makes sense to me now."

The older Vulcan raised his brow. Jim continued, not speaking to him but to the fire flickering. "The conflicting stories surrounding my birth… Why Father never loved me… I wasn't really his son. I was _Human_. Everyone; Everyone knew this. This was why they all treated me so differently." He hesitated. "Everyone but me. They raised me to think I was apart of them, when really," he shook his head slightly, "all of them from the very beginning had used me. I was their ploy to kill a Vulcan that had nothing to do with me. My planet wasn't destroyed, and they—my father—he was the one who killed. He killed my real mother, my real father. All for his revenge. But then," Jim's brow furrowed, "his revenge was the only thing that wasn't a lie, was it?" he looked up to Spock, finally. "You really _did_ destroy Romulus or none of this wouldn't have happened."

Spock looked away, not sure what to say right then. Jim looked him over with pitiful blue eyes, waiting for his answer. Jim had been lied to since his birth, and Vulcans could not lie willingly. He decided to help this boy, and to right the wronged universe, he would have to explain to him why he wasn't the enemy Jim Kirk originally thought he was.

"I am not responsible for Romulus' destruction." Spock began. "Though, I did place the burden upon myself as though it was. In a sense, it is and it is not." Jim turned his head away, burying it between his knees. "Nero, is a very troubled Romulan, and I do think I can explain his actions for you much clearer since you only know of the events that took place after our first encounter."

Jim looked up suspiciously but still saddened. "How do I know you won't lie to me too?" Spock nodded, expecting this and stood. He walked over to the sitting Human and splayed out his hand towards Jim's face. The Human, expectedly backed up.

"I will dissolve all lies by allowing you to see what I saw through my own mind. You will control what you see and you may determine for yourself which is truth and which are lies." Jim noticeably gulped. "Meld with me, and seek your truths." He offered again, still holding out his hand towards Jim's temple.

Jim searched the elder's old, creased eyes. The air around them felt familiar and welcoming, but despite that, he still understood that if he had been lied to once, who's to say the entire universe wasn't lying to him? Could Spock, the Vulcan he'd grown up to hate and resent, be trusted?

The wrinkled hand sat near his face, Jim looking it over and studying its shape. He knew little of Vulcan culture, but understood vaguely about Vulcan mind melds. Romulans also had touch-telepath abilities, but were much weaker compared to their Vulcan cousins. But now, Jim wasn't Romulan any more, if Spock wanted to, he could control his weak, Human mind and make him believe whatever he wanted him to believe. However, Nero had lied to him. Perhaps what he told him about Vulcans was just as much as a lie as what he had told him about Humans.

He needed the truth. Conceding, Jim sighed, closed his eyes, and pushed his head forward until he felt the fingers on his face. They felt wonderful to him, and gentle, nothing like Nero had ever preached to him.

He heard Spock's voice as smooth as velvet. "Our minds one, and together."

…

Jim felt weightless, like he was floating in a vast black void. His eyes felt tightly closed, so he opened them slowly to see all around him was darkness. Nothing could be seen for what appeared like miles, empty, vast, and lonely.

Then his feet felt flooring. Easily, Jim landed and stood on the invisible floor, now noticing that he was completely nude and glowing a beautiful golden colour as though he were a ghost. Confused and a bit embarrassed, Jim hid his complete Human body, only to feel a warm hand on his shoulder turn him around. He twirled easy and found his eyes staring into Spock's, who was also nude but instead glowing a deep blue colour. He adverted his gaze, too embarrassed to witness their naked flesh.

"My apologies, Jim," Spock said with a minor echo, "it is not often I entertain a non-telepath. It has been years since I have had to reconstruct bodily auras for witnesses." Jim nodded to him, feeling his face heat up.

"Why did you allow bodily forms at all? Aren't I just supposed to see your memories?" Spock seemed to consider that, but shook his head softly in reply.

"I wish to give you control of what you see. The only way I could do this was to allow you the free mobility of a body. Observe." The Vulcan offered his arm out to the vast, empty space where Jim watched as the room began to brighten and mold into several familiar shapes. When it was complete, it looked as though they were standing in a long hall full of closed doors, all very Vulcan in structure and art.

It was breath-taking.

"This is your mind?" Jim asked, finding the doors and their patterns gorgeous.

"A… metaphorical representation."

"It's very beautiful."

Spock's smile was brief and quickly tucked away. "Wait until you see what lies beyond the doors." Jim watched as the Vulcan went up to one of the many hundred of doors. Jim followed after him and shown him the labels written. This label read: Mother's Birthdays. Spock settled his hand over it longingly, staring at the label.

"Each door holds many memories, all that I have catalogued away in my mind in my own way." He turned to Jim. "I am giving you complete access to these doors. You may see whatever you like for the sake of truth and trust."

Jim quirked his brow very Vulcan like. "You mean, you're giving me complete access? Like, I could learn your vulnerabilities if I wanted to? Your most horrible secrets?" Spock only nodded. "Considering I've been hating you my whole life, that's a lot of trust to give to me."

Spock nodded again. "I trust you, Jim. My life with you has proven over and over again that I will never regret that trust." Wow. Those simple words felt so right to him, they spoke such volumes. Jim didn't know what to say or how to respond. Something spiraled inside him and clutched at his heart. How odd he felt standing there, naked, and feeling such warmth from the Vulcan he thought his own enemy.

Looking at the doors, Jim understood that though he wasn't a telepath, this was more than anyone had ever shown him. He was free to roam around, look into what he wished, and retell its secrets or keep them for himself. A part of him demanded he go and search out Spock's weaknesses—but another told him to appreciate the delicate trust he was receiving. Not to chance it, or lose it.

The doors were beautiful, and all he had to do was step forward to see anything he wanted. Could he really trust the old Vulcan to give him access? Would he really share his knowledge with a Human who had seen him as an enemy for so long? Jim was brought back to reality when Spock called to him, standing by one of the doors.

"This is were my recent, unfiled memories are being held." Spock told him, showing him the large, curved door. "Everything I had done up until the point of entering this universe is in here." He beckoned with his elderly hand. "Come." Jim listened and stepped forward, hesitating and unsure why. The Vulcan took his hand into his and led it to the door's handle, giving Jim complete control. When his fingers graced the metal-like handle, he felt a tingle of surprise and warmth. His heart began to pound in his chest as his loyalties conflicted within him. Everything he had ever thought about his father could, at this moment, be turned upside down. He may learn things he didn't want to know. But… truth had been scarce. Using his strength so he couldn't back out, Jim twisted the handle and threw the door open, only to be greeted by a gust of hard air and a flood of images like he was being wrapped within a virtual telecom.

For a moment, Jim felt like he couldn't breathe. All around him he saw stars, vast planes, and planets. He swam through it, trying to gain his breath, but stopped when he recognized a certain star. It was the Sol of Romulus' system. It was bright, beautiful, then surprised him by expanding and turning a deadly red colour. The star was going to supernova. As it made preparations for the explosion, Jim was pulled back and brought into another memory, one of Elder Spock in what looked to be the Vulcan Science Academy. He heard talking of plans and watched as Spock surprised his fellow Vulcans with an idea so bizarre, it could only work.

"Spock," said an elder, "you are suggesting that we build a ship with the capabilities of holding enough material to detonate millions of singularities at once, and safely. This will take precious time, and that is something Romulus does not have."

Spock nodded. "I understand the dangers of my proposal, Councilman, however, there will be no other way to save the inhabitants of Romulus. Evacuations are underway, but with their technology, most will not make it to safety before the supernova. The blackhole the Red Matter will create will have enough density to stave off the radiation until further assistance can arrive."

The councilman and others around him fell into a fit of hushed conversation, calculating, predicting, and discussing before the same councilman turned back to the elder. "With the time estimated, you are aware that such a mission will mean that you will not survive. Whether by the supernova or the singularity, you and your ship will be destroyed for the sake of these people."

Spock agreed easily. "I know this. I have run the numbers through my head and also have come to this conclusion. I am an old Vulcan, Councilman,"

"Yes, but you are vital to this academy and future projects."

Spock stared into the other Vulcan's eyes, not betraying his emotionless face but still showing more emotion than the others around him. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few… or the one." That made the councilmen fall into silence. All eyes focused on Spock.

"Permission granted for your proposal, Ambassador."

Jim watched, his eyes fixated on the images as he watched the elder Vulcan flit through memories of his new mission, knowing he would die and taking on the responsibility to save the Romulans. This brought forth new feelings inside the Human, watching Spock suit up and work hours and hours to get the new ship ready for its first and last mission.

"_You were willing to die to save Romulus?"_ Jim asked echo-like through the memory. Spock replied in equal echo.

"_My sacrifice, in service of all races, seemed only logical."_

The memories flooded over and splashed until now Jim was watching as Spock suited up and prepared to enter the new ship called the _Jellyfish_. He was ready, stone faced, and sure. Just as he was about to enter the ship, an elderly woman called his name to stop him. She looked Human, and when Spock turned to greet her, it was apparent the elderly lady had known Spock for a while.

"Ambassador," She sighed, looking as though she didn't know what else to say. Spock paused and turned to greet her.

"Dr. McCoy," he offered back with a small bow, "Joanna," he amended, "you were not expected."

She smiled. "I may be old, Spock, but I'm just as stubborn as my father. There's no way I would have let you go off to your death without saying goodbye." Spock appeared to understand, but did nothing. The woman named Joanna took the initiative and approached him, wrapping her arms about him like she was young again. The Vulcan allowed it. She began silently crying on his shoulder. The emotional backing was causing Jim to hold back his own tears.

"_That is Leonard McCoy's daughter, Joanna."_ Spock echoed to him softly as they watched. _"Her advancement in medicine helped to extend the Human life expectancy to one-hundred-fifty. She truly followed her father's footsteps."_

"_And she was the last to see you alive?"_ Spock nodded to him, and turned away, as if he had asked too much. They turned their attention back to the memory.

"Good bye, Spock," Joanna said after she pulled away. "I would say, 'live long and prosper', but I don't think it's very appropriate." And upon that, they agreed, saying nothing more as Spock loaded himself into the ship. Joanna watched him leave, and Jim felt the emotions of Spock swipe over his form. He was saddened to say goodbye.

"_You didn't want to leave."_ Jim whispered.

"_My duties lied elsewhere."_ Spock replied. _"It was not logical to remain behind when I had already accepted my death."_

"_I never knew…"_

"_That Vulcans could feel?"_ Spock asked for him. _"That is illogical, Jim."_ He told him almost sounding a bit smug. _"You have always known that I could feel."_

Before Jim could say anything to the Vulcan's strange retort, the memories shifted again and Jim watched as he was surrounded by a new flood of emotions. Fear. Anxiety. Anticipation. Spock was throttling the ship as fast as it could go, pushing against time. Jim monitored the estimated time for the supernova and saw that something was wrong.

"_Spock,"_ Jim said, _"you don't have enough time to make it… but that timer must be wrong, it's only an estimate after all."_

Spock turned grim and silent. _"I wish I could say that the timer was malfunctioning, but that was not the case. My last moments spent with Joanna compromised me for time because of my emotional background with her. Being the only living part of the men I had served so long with, it did not occur to me that allowing a parting would compromise my mission."_

Jim turned frightened eyes to the deep blue glowing Vulcan. _"You mean…?"_

"_Yes." _Spock barely said. _"I did not make it to the star in time and the supernova erupted, destroying Romulus, before I could save it."_ Fright over took him, Jim gulping something thick in his throat, panic making him watch as the _Jellyfish_ rushed through the void of space, only to see the supernova blast out. Instruments kept Spock safe from the radiation and blast, but Romulus, even in the distance, they could see the planet exploded. Spock had been too late. A new wave of regret and fear washed over him.

Scenes changed and now Jim could see the _Narada_, coming between the destruction and Spock. _"Nero had survived, mining in a local system and coming to assist in evacuations, but even he had been too late. He watched as I had, Romulus departing in the distance, and of course, blamed me and every Vulcan for its demise. His anger was well placed among me, I do not deny that, Jim."_ The blue figure looked at him, sorrow actually cracking through the surface. _"Had I not taken the time to say goodbye, I could have made it."_

Jim shook his head. _"You were going to your death… you deserved—"_

"_Excuses can not bring back the time that could have been used to save those people."_ Spock interrupted. _"It is now the burden I carry."_

The memories continued, Jim seeing the hate of his father and the shame of Spock. Then he saw as the Vulcan left his cockpit and went towards the back where the Red Matter lay. Jim appeared confused.

"_I could not save Romulus, but I would not allow Nero to destroy any others upon his hate. I knew that using the Red Matter to create a small blackhole, I could, in theory, send myself back in time to complete my mission so to save the planet and its people," _Spock voiced over for him, _"if not, then a well deserved death would greet me. But Nero seemed to understand my plans and instead of taking down my ship, he allowed me to create the blackhole and raced for its opening. He went through before me, both of us falling into darkness."_

The scene was terrifying, obscene, and dangerous. It was like he could literally feel the pull of the blackhole and the ships around him. _"I did not know how long I was inside this singularity, but from what I could understand, what was minutes to me had been years to Nero. When I arrived, the Romulan was waiting for me, showing years of hate and disgust."_ The _Jellyfish_ was pulled in by the tractor beam, the images showing Spock captured and brought forth to the Nero he knew so well. This was the present now.

"I've been waiting for you, Spock." Nero greeted with a toothy smile. The old Vulcan was forced to his knees by some other Romulans he knew. "Twenty-five years, to be exact." Nero walked around Spock, Jim noting that his father looked worn, thin, and positively pissed. "I've been waiting for this day, and now I can finally bring peace to Romulus and all you murdered."

Spock stayed silent, looking to the floor submissively. Nero took him by his collar and brought him up to look him in the eyes. "You will finally meet the death you deserve, you and all the Federation! I'll see to it that this universe has no Spock, no Vulcan, and no Federation, by starting with you!" With that last word, Nero took from his uniform a harsh dagger and brought it to Spock's head—Jim turned away, not being able to watch when he suddenly heard a shout. "Ayel!" Jim looked back up to the memory, his eyes wide as he took in the sights of his uncle, also worn, thin, and gripping the wrist of his father. The blade, mere inches from Spock's eyes.

"We must not kill him." Ayel's voice whispered.

"This again!" Nero sneered, taking back his wrist and dropping Spock to the floor. "Didn't you get your saviour fill when we didn't kill that worthless excuse for a Human! And now you want to do it for our second enemy!" Jim was stunned by that announcement.

Ayel stepped back, obviously knowing he was stepping out of bounds. "This is not the same, my friend." Nero bored heavy eyes into him. "My reasons lie with a different plan. We are still en route to Vulcan and now have the Red Matter for our plans. Instead of killing the ambassador, why don't we have him watch its destruction on Delta Vega and search endlessly in the cold until the ice takes his breath? He will suffer much longer instead of us giving pity to his life and ending it quickly."

"_I knew then that Nero's second in command was sparing my life,"_ Spock told Jim, and Jim understood that was something Ayel would do, but why for the one he thought his enemy? _"I am lost for words, same as you, and illogically hoped that this Ayel person would soothe Nero into forgetting his revenge. He fought for my life, hiding it beneath duty, but I could tell this Romulan did not wish my death."_

"_Uncle…"_ Jim said into the darkness.

"_But it did not change that Nero appreciated the change of plans. He took the Commander's advice and deported me to Delta Vega once we arrived at the Vulcan system."_ Jim looked on again as the memories changed and saw Spock on the ice ball, cold, and looking up at planet Vulcan as it slowly imploded into a blackhole. Pure sadness and helplessness struck his front like a punch in the gut. Jim was overwhelmed. He had been _apart_ of that!

"_But,"_ Spock said as he watched the planet implode again and again like a horrible film, _"the Commander must not have succeeded… and I stood helpless to save my planet just as Nero had been helpless to save his."_

Jim felt a gush of wind and a huge tugging on his body, he couldn't take looking at the memory anymore and ran from it. He didn't become aware again until he saw the hallway of doors and the door behind them shut tight. Chills ran up and down his spine, emotions flooded like rivers into his heart. He began to cry.

"Forgive me, Jim, emotional transference is a byproduct of the mind meld to a non-telepath."

Jim shook his head. He was breathing harsh, nervous, scared, and angry. "All my life Nero told me what had happened to Romulus, how it was you who destroyed it, but I had never seen it before. Now looking at it… two planets are gone and I've witnessed both, in visual and in pain. I was one of the enemies that destroyed Vulcan… I am responsible…"

Warm hands took his shoulders and brought him close. "Upon entering this universe," Spock began, "Nero and I both changed history. You were not aware of your true identity and therefore can not be held responsible for my home planet's demise. It is not your fault, Jim." Jim threw his hands off.

"The hell it isn't!" He howled. "I agreed to it! I was on that drilling head and could have used that bomb to stop it from happening! I could have done something about it!"

"But you didn't know." Spock argued. "You are a victim, not a perpetrator. You thought you were doing what was best for your people. You were emotionally driven by feelings, not facts."

Jim wiped his tears away, closing in of himself. "And what are the facts?" He choked out. Spock didn't answer right away, moving towards Jim and sitting beside him, taking the naked boy into his arms. The warmth was welcomed, Jim had felt so cold.

"The facts are that you are James T. Kirk, and have now learned the only truths I can provide you. It is not about what you have done in the past, but what you will do now with your future. Despite the events that have been caused, remarkably, this universe has tried to right itself. I do not think it mere coincidence we met here on Delta Vega, nor do I find it coincidence that you are still good friends with Leonard McCoy. I am even willing to surmise that there is more trying to be corrected even as we speak. Uhura, Chekov—"

"Communications and tactical." Jim answered.

"And Sulu?"

"Helmsman."

Jim pulled away. "But you can't know any of that! Let alone their names!" They stood, Spock offering his hand to help Jim up. He took it and both men looked at each other.

"That was the beginning of my time with these officers too," Spock said, "I would say that your universe is attempting to mend itself. In both our histories, the same crew found its way onto the same ship in a time of ultimate crisis—therein lies our advantage. This is why we met here, Jim. This is why you must accept that you are Jim Kirk. The sooner we set the universe right again, the sooner we can stop Nero before he harms another."

Jim looked away, this was so much to take in. All his life it's been work, training, and preparing to fight and defeat an enemy that wasn't looking so much like an enemy anymore. He'd been lied to, stories told to him to destroy a universe he was very apart of. He felt so much emotion, had seen so much happen, and now understood what he had to do. To set the universe right, to end his father's tyranny over his family, he would have to do what he always wanted to do but feared: stand up to Nero. He would have to fight him, destroy him, to make amends for Vulcan and all those he had wronged. Only then, could Jim finally be free.

"I believe you now." Jim said. "I know the truth. I understand, but… how am I supposed to stop Nero when I'm marooned on Delta Vega? Not to mention, the _Enterprise_ isn't coming back for me and even if we somehow did managed to hail them, I doubt Spock would allow it. Not after what I did to him." That made the Vulcan raise a brow.

"What do you mean?"

Jim's heart sank as he remembered it all, rubbing his shoulders like it would make them go away. He turned to Spock and sighed heavily. "I thought he was the enemy. My mission was to infiltrate Starfleet and kill him so he couldn't grow to do what you had done to us. I waited… very long… but before I was sent here, I fought with him. I nearly _killed_ him, I was so close." Jim shook his head in disbelief to his own words. "He'd never let me back on that ship, and they would be the closest vessel. Even _if_ I told him I'd changed."

Spock went silent, looking at Jim and watching the boy think to himself. He didn't have the heart to tell Jim he could feel his thoughts since they were still in the mind meld, and felt so much emotion and confusion pouring from him, but there was no doubt he had convinced Jim of the truth. He was no longer the enemy, and with that, he stood a chance to make it right again. Spock nodded, moving the doors around his hall and bringing out a particular golden door, larger and more beautiful than the rest. Maybe this would help convince Jim that there was still time to make it right.

"Jim," Spock called, echoing. Jim looked to him and gasped when he saw the large, gorgeous door. It looked cuved, lined with gold and silver ornaments, crested with jewels of all kinds and the label written in what looked to be high Vulcan.

"What is this?" Jim asked, amazed.

"Behind this door are my most intimate memories. They are… special to me. I wish for you to see something behind it." Jim didn't know what was going on, hardly understood anything since his burning need to know what could possibly be behind the door interested him. He stepped forward when Spock took the handle and steadied himself for impact when the door began to open.

…

A/N – What do you think Jim will see behind that door? 8D


	13. Chapter 13

A/N – I always get stuck around chapters 12 and 13. *shakes head* I'm sorry! Here's an update for you. Hopefully, this story will continue to its end since I have so much laid out for it already. This chapter contains some K/S finally, so be cautious! Mature content warning! Enjoy!

…

After the door opened, Jim looked inside to see a completely dark room. Nothing was shown; utterly empty. Jim thought it may have been a trick, something along the lines of 'the greatest thing you'll learn is to not see what the problem is but to blah blah whatever, insert random moral here'. It'd been the root of many hero stories Ayel had told him when he was younger, but now was not the time for such childish thinking.

Jim turned to Spock, a look of agitation on his face when still nothing shown in the room. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked.

Spock stepped beside him into the frame of the door. He looked as though he was trying to hold back a smile, a look of expectation written over his very unreadable face. "I am not surprised to see your impatience, Jim." Spock said smoothly, gripping his hands behind his back delicately. Then he used his head to point off into a distant direction. "Observe."

Jim looked out into the darkness, following after the elderly Vulcan when he began to walk inside. Only a few steps were taken before the door shut tightly behind them and darkness encased them. Upon the loud shutting slam, Jim jumped, ready for attack. A warm hand placed upon his shoulder to relax him, turning him to a different direction. What Jim saw stopped him. In the distance floated a tiny speck of light becoming larger as it approached.

The light was alluring, fascinating, and had a strange pull that made Jim step towards it. Spock released him to let him go after it, until the bright ball was only a few inches from his nose, about as large as a ping pong ball and floating like a small star.

"What is this?" Jim asked, amazed that he was falling for a tiny ball of light. It felt familiar to him, like he'd seen it before.

"My most treasured memories," Spock told him, "of times that I will never forget."

Curiously, Jim reached out to the touch the ball, only for it to bounce and trill like a resonating bell. For some reason that made him smile, and he reached out again, this time the ball accepting his petting. His fingers felt so warm against its surface and he smiled, like he was petting a cute animal or something.

Then suddenly, without warning, the ball of light flew from his grasp and shot towards his forehead where it lightly touched his skin. The burn caused him to cry out, and the light made him shut his eyes tightly. Suddenly, millions of images poured over his senses like a fast moving movie, showing him so much and yet so little.

He saw what looked to be the Bridge of the _Enterprise_, and Spock, young and very Vulcan performing his duties at a station. He was wearing a gold tunic uniform, and his brows were heavily arched to prove his youth.

The turbolift doors opened, taking everyone's attention, and entered another young man, wearing a gold tunic uniform and very handsome. His smile was warm, and his eyes peering into the souls of all the officers around him.

Jim was astounded. _"Is that… me?"_

Spock's voice met his, though this time he couldn't see himself or the old Vulcan. _"Yes, that is you. Fresh from the front lines and your first day as Captain of the _Enterprise._"_

"_Captain?"_ Jim asked, still surprised and unsure.

"_Yes, Jim, it wasn't the first time we had met, but it was our first time working together. I've never forgotten it because it was… unique."_

Jim watched as this older form of himself—he couldn't be any more than thirty—walked to the young Vulcan at his station. Smile in place and a teasing glare. Spock didn't look at all amused and turned back to his work.

"We haven't even left dock, Mr. Spock. Perhaps you should rest and take it easy like the rest of us. We'll be shoving off in no time."

"Precisely why I am working diligently," Spock replied, not bothering to turn from his station, "many scans and diagnostics must be performed before we can depart. If not, we have a point-three-seven percent chance of not making depart time." Jim watched his older self hold back a smile.

"Only point-three-seven percent? That is unacceptable Mr. Spock." The Vulcan heard the subtle mockery and turned to face him curiously. "I will make rounds to be sure that everyone is doing their part to make sure we depart on time." _Captain_ Kirk turned on his heels to head for the turbolift when Spock stopped him.

"Captain, that will not be necessary." As if he expected it, Kirk stopped and craned his neck peer back.

"Oh? Why's that?"

Spock took in a heavy breath and stood tall, firm, with his hands laced behind him. "I have taken the diagnostic and scanning duties myself. I am the only one handling these obligations." Kirk turned completely towards him, looking mighty and cocky.

"Well therein lies our problem, Mr. Spock. It's no wonder we have a point-three-seven percent chance of not making depart time."

"Sir?"

"Do you not trust the abilities of your new crew?" He asked with a sincere smile.

"It is not that—"

"Mr. Spock, you are head Science Officer, my First Officer, and now you are trying to take over duties that are beyond your field. How about you give the newbies a chance to prove themselves?"

Spock looked away, like he was considering something before he looked back up. "I suppose it would be efficient to supervise instead of doing their duties. It is just… Captain Pike did not mind my extra work." Jim thought that may have stung his older self, but the man only shook his head and walked over to the Vulcan.

"Well, Mr. Spock, I'm sure this is going to be a shocker to you, but I'm not Captain Pike—however, I do understand that change requires time and you need to get to know me before we can work as an efficient team." Spock looked down as thought he was being reprimanded.

"Forgive me, Captain, I did not mean—"

"You are ordered to have dinner with the Captain tonight."

Spock looked up, his eyes not giving anything away but Jim could feel his surprise. "Sir?"

"Consider your punishment to be a fun night of conversation and getting to know your new Captain; …I insist." Jim was surprised by how charming his older self looked and was even more amazed when Mr. Spock appeared to show a light green blush and concede to the request. Then he watched as his older self left the Bridge, leaving behind him a very baffled Vulcan.

"_Any other Captain would have taken offense to my loyalty to my previous Captain,"_ Spock voiced over to him in echoes, _"but you, Jim, you were different and you showed me this right away. Our first night together as Captain and First Officer was the beginning of a friendship I would not soon trade for the world."_

Memories washed over his senses like a fast-forward movie, showing Jim how the friendship blossomed from the seed of uncertainty and grew into something beautiful. He saw himself risking everything to save Spock and saw Spock do the same, at the end of the day showing the two beaten and battered but smiling at one another in their own way.

He saw turmoil and pain, heart-break and anger, but watched it mend when once again either of them would go to the other and apologize, becoming close once more. Jim was taken aback by how close they appeared, how so loving they were to each other. This was everything Jim had ever wanted and more.

"_You really cared about me."_ Jim whispered.

"_And you cared for me."_ Spock replied into the pictures. _"No matter what came between us, we always managed to keep our friendship constant. No man, no woman, not even paradise kept us apart. Somehow, we always made it back together… just like you must do now."_

The memories kept swirling, showing more growing love and care. _"What do you mean?"_

"_If your universe is trying to mend itself, then friendship and trust may still be possible between you and my younger self. You must try, Jim. You must show Spock that you are willing to bend the rules and find a balance between you. That you both can once again appear on that Bridge and be the team that surpasses time."_

The memories stopped, flowing away from him and leaving Jim gasping for breath as the room became dark once more with the tiny ball of light glittering in front of him. Jim gasped for his air, trying to steady himself from the overload.

"Trying to kill your unrealized best friend can really put a damper on building said friendship." Spock was with him once more and looked proud for some reason.

"I trust that you will find a way to convince him."

Jim shook his head. "I tried to _kill_ him. I doubt he'll want to be all buddy-buddy just because I tell him we're supposed to have an epic friendship."

Spock raised his brow. "You do not believe that you and my counterpart can have this friendship?" Jim shook his head again.

"That was another time, another universe. That's not what's here now. It could be that Spock and I aren't meant to be friends. I mean… I thought I was half-Romulan not too long ago. You're banking on a lot." Spock fell silent, not sure what to tell him. Jim's doubt was going to complicate this. He had to convince him of the possibility.

"You said earlier that you waited a long time to murder my younger self. Why?" That made Jim start, and he looked to blush lightly. Spock could feel the embarrassment swipe through him.

"I would say I got lazy and thought I could do it at anytime… but really… our conversations were so interesting. It was fun to talk to him not as a Romulan but as Kobayashi Alternative. We were equals and so… there was just something there that kept preventing me for pulling through. I don't know what it was."

Spock nodded silently, like he was putting more puzzle pieces together. The old Vulcan hadn't wanted to do this, but it appeared it was the last hope to show this Jim that there was a chance. If what he felt from the young boy was true, than this would do it. This would convince him.

"Jim," Spock said quietly. He waited until the human looked up. His eyes still looked so unsure, so unsteady, so _defeated_. "When you thought of me as your enemy, you told me you were given a loveless father. Am I correct to assume that all you wanted from Nero was his love? To be loved?"

Jim felt his face flush, knowing it wouldn't do him much good to lie in a mind meld. He nodded quickly. "All I ever wanted was what you've shown me here. To be accepted as I am, appreciated, loved. To have someone proud of me and love me." He gave a grim laugh. "All I wanted was for Nero to love me, and yet, he's the reason why I'll never be loved. Why everyone will loathe me until I die."

"No one loathes you." Jim turned to him with darkened blue eyes.

"Well, they certainly don't love me." He nearly huffed. Spock watched him close in on himself again. The Vulcan visibly sighed and waved his hand to bring the bright orb of light to him. I hovered in his hand delicately, like a moth drawn to a flame.

"I love you, Jim." The admission made Jim's eyes burst with confusion, studying the old man with skepticism. "I've always loved you… and I will prove it to you." With that, Jim was left no time to decline as Spock blew on the orb like a dandelion making the bright light burst into beautiful pieces, floating around and enveloping them entirely into another memory. Like before, it encompassed them but it didn't play like he was watching a movie. Instead, Jim felt his limbs and felt his body again like he wasn't in a mind meld anymore.

Opening his eyes, Jim looked around and saw he was in a strange room, decorated like someone had been living in it for some time. He was sitting on a bed, dressed in a strange green tunic and black slacks. Getting up, the first things that caught Jim's eye was the mirror on the wall. The reflection staring back at him was the same man he had seen in Spock's memories. He was his older self and now wore that same charming face and beautiful build.

"Spock?" Jim asked and he nearly choked, his voice had sounded a bit deeper and more commanding than he expected. As if on cue, the door behind him opened and Spock, as the elder had shown him in his memories stepped out wearing nothing but a light cotton robe.

"Where are we?" He asked the Vulcan. "Are we still in the mind meld? How did you do this?"

Spock nodded. "This is a memory, Jim, one I am allowing complete access to via body and mind." His features, though younger than the elder, appeared to soften. "This memory is special to me because it was our first time together." That made Jim's breath hitch. What did he mean?

"First time?" Jim's voice squeaked. As an answer, Spock slowly untied the sash from his robe and let it fall open, revealing beneath it a hard, lean body dusted with dark hair. Jim blinked and felt odd arousal scorch through certain parts of his anatomy, then the Vulcan stepped forward until their noses were nearly touching.

"I love you, Jim." Spock whispered across his face.

"I love you too, Spock." Jim said automatically, not willingly, because this was a memory and he had no control of what had already happened.

"You may stop the memory at anytime." Spock's voice ghosted over his lips. "Simply pull away and it will end, but if you do not, you will say and do and feel everything the Jim Kirk I knew did in this memory."

Jim didn't know how to react. This was so different and new to him. "And what did he do?" He asked, and it was an honest question. Spock gave no verbal answer, but instead finished the rest of the journey and placed his lips on Jim's.

It was electrifying.

From there, Jim allowed the memory to do as it wanted, letting himself be piloted by the memory and everything this Jim Kirk had done. Jim had no experience when it came to this kind of contact, almost backed out and stopped it, but something kept him going. The feelings were incredible and the surprise that in a different universe he and Spock had been _lovers_ and not enemies was intriguing. But still frightening.

Jim was pushed down on to the bed, Spock letting his weight unto him as he slowly unbuttoned and removed Jim's tunic, kissing the flesh as it was being revealed. It felt so cool and made his head buzz. "How long had we known each other before… this?" Jim asked hesitantly.

Spock kissed his navel and up his breast and then sucked harshly on his throat, bringing out a moan from Jim. "We had been in service together for four years before either of us admitted that we were in love. This is the last year of our mission together and we… wanted to make the most of it."

"This explains a lot of the emotion I felt from those memories." Jim said as he watched Spock unzip his slacks and begin to flower them open. His face heated and he turned away, embarrassed. "I never knew…"

"Vulcans are not beyond love, Jim. You knew that the first day I met you."

Jim moaned and felt his skin prickle. "Oh god, Spock, suck me." His voice said it automatically and the admission made Jim blush and slap a hand over his mouth. Spock's eyes appeared to smile.

"You are welcome to back out at any time."

"No, no." Jim faltered. "You said you were going to prove you love me—_had_ loved me. I want to see it. All of it." Though Jim had said that, he knew how nervous he was. He'd never had sex before and only knew a little bit about it from his uncle explaining it to him. He wanted to save it for someone special and looking at this memory and Spock removing his most intimate organ from his slacks, _this_ was special. For Spock. For this Jim Kirk. Curiosity and the thirst for some unknown completion convinced Jim to carry on. Somehow this felt _right_.

Jim shuddered when he felt the vulcan's grip on his flesh, squeezing it and stroking it in ways Jim had never felt before.

"Please, Spock," Jim begged involuntarily, and Spock complied, making Jim's mind explode with sensation as lips folded over his sensitive phallus and began to suck and swirl with a sandpaper like tongue.

Jim threw his head back and moaned, bucking into the cool mouth while the Vulcan put pressure on his hips to keep him from doing so. The feelings were incredible, Jim felt his body twitch and feel as though it would overload. What was happening to his body? What was happening to his mind?

"Spock!" Jim shouted as the tongue worked him, the Vulcan bobbing up and down on him like clockwork until Jim felt a familiar pressure stir inside him. He was about to orgasm. He placed his hands on either side of Spock's head and moaned deliciously as the orgasm washed over him. Spock stayed put and let it happened until Jim was moaning softly and breathing hard.

Spock pulled up from his penis and allowed all the semen to gush out, coat his genitals, and trickled down towards his bottom.

They didn't stay that way long, Jim trying to catch his breath, as Spock completely removed his clothes until he was lying on the bed naked. Then, with an iron grip, Spock parted his legs and placed a pillow underneath Jim's bottom, raising him up to a penetrating angle.

"Are you certain this is what you want?" Spock asked, throwing the robe off in one swipe.

Jim felt himself nod as he was autopiloted again. "Oh yes, Spock. I want you to fuck me hard. Make love to me. I want to remember this night forever. And don't hold back," he said and felt himself wink, "I'm a pretty tough guy and I can take anything you throw at me."

"As you wish."

"What does he mean?" Jim asked when he had his voice back. "'Make love'?" Spock reached over and picked up a bottle from somewhere. He coated his fingers and placed then at his perineum, sliding slowing down to his anus.

"Humans can often refer to sexual pleasure as 'making love' because you do it with someone you love."

"Or someone special?"

Spock hid a smile. "Making love is always with someone special, Jim. Your species has a whole different vocabulary for sexual congress with someone you do not find 'special'." Jim nodded, feeling the fingers play with his opening. He shivered.

"So you're telling me that you loved me?" Spock gave a nod and began to push into him, but Jim reached up and stopped his arm briefly. "And that I loved you?" Spock nodded again, not bothering to push any further. "And we were… special… to each other?"

Spock shook his head, making Jim start. "No. We _completed_ each other. That is more than special, and this is why I know you and my younger self can do it again. If the universe is trying to repair itself, the strong friendship—even without the love—will occur again. He needs you and you need him."

The scenery faded away like a dream and Jim saw his golden glowing body laying on the dark floor, Spock back in his elder form glowing blue poised in between his legs, and the glowing orb whole, floating beside them. Spock removed his hand and instead offered his hand to let Jim stand. He took it easily and smiled. "Do you believe it now?" Spock asked. Jim sighed.

"I still don't know if I can do it, and this is a lot for me to consider, but…" He shrugged his shoulders. "If you think I can do it, then you'll be the second person in the universe who ever believed in me."

"Second?"

"My uncle. No matter what path I chose," Jim smiled, and Spock felt the emotions shift around them, "Ayel was always proud of me. He told me I was meant for greatness." He turned and looked at Spock with a new passion. "Uncle never doubted me, and he always told me to trust my heart. Well, this time my heart is telling me to trust you, to believe you, to make things right again. If not for the love I could have, at least for him. He would tell me now to at least try." He shook his head again. "I've never been in love before. I want to… try."

A flash of light ignited and Jim opened his eyes to see they were back in the icy cave, Jim wrapped tightly in the older Vulcan's arms. He looked up like he was seeing him for the first time. Spock looked down and gave the Vulcan equivalent of a smile.

"There is a Starfleet outpost not far from here." He suddenly told Jim who simply nestled in his embrace. "Come. We must return you to the _Enterprise_ as soon as possible." They stood, both missing the warmth of the other. The Vulcan immediately began to put out the fire.

"Wait," Jim suddenly said, catching his attention, "before we go, can I ask you one question?"

"Certainly."

Now that they were out of the meld, Spock could not entirely read his emotions, but welcomed anything.

Jim shuffled his feet for a moment. "Did we ever—you know—get bonded?" That made Spock stop for a second as bonding between Vulcans and Romulans alike was the equivalent of marriage, making Jim wonder if he had asked too much. But after a momentary silence, the elder Vulcan stepped up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Jim, my universe is a guideline, not the inevitable. The decisions you make today will help put it back on the right path, but only _you_ can decide what happens from there. If you wish to love, then love. If you wish to bond, then bond." He cupped the human's cheek and stroked a thumb over his lips. Jim's eyes fluttered and he nearly tried to take the digit into his mouth, but Spock didn't let him.

"Do not concern yourself over what has been, but instead, what you will _do_, for somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

…

The falling snow had quickly become a blizzard as Jim and the elder Spock made their way towards a distant outpost. Even though Jim couldn't see it, Spock was certain they were heading in the right direction and yelled over the wind for him to follow quickly.

Growing up on the _Narada_, Jim had become accustomed to warm temperatures much like the Romulans and Vulcans. Thinking he was only half-human, when really he was whole, Jim thought bitterly, his room was often kept a bit cooler than the rest, but still incredibly hotter than how Starfleet Academy kept their temperatures and the _Enterprise_. Out in the snow, he felt he would surely shiver to death and cursed every time the wind blew his hood off his head. In the end, he pulled the draw strings tight until nothing was exposed but his nose, blinding him, and he latched a hand on to the Vulcan to lead him.

Many minutes passed this way until Jim heard a loud sound like metal scraping on metal. He opened his hood and peaked out to see they had indeed arrived at some kind of an outpost and rushed inside unannounced to the heat he felt pour from it.

Spock shut the door and both began to kick off the powdery snow. When Spock looked to Jim, he wore a very angry expression. He raised a brow delicately.

"I just want you to know I'm so fucking pissed at other you right now." The way he said it nearly stuttered since the boy was still shivering. Spock gave a nod.

"I, too, dislike temperatures below my normal preference."

Clutching himself tightly until the chill went away, Jim looked around to see they were inside a large hallway void of all living things, it seemed. "So, where are we?" No sooner did he ask that did both men turn to see a shadow on the distant wall. It approached them quickly. Jim backed up next to the elder.

"You did say it was a Starfleet outpost, right?" He whispered over, "I'm not going to have to fight anything, am I?"

"We are intruders, but this outpost should have very few residents. Fighting them would be illogical." The shadow came closer until the lighting caught up and so did the large figure, which shrunk considerably as it approached. Jim stared at the odd alien creature which couldn't have been taller than four feet. He looked like a lizard and a human got together and played hanky panky. Elder Spock elbowed him gently in the ribs to stop him from staring. Staring was rude.

"Can I help you?" The tiny man asked in a high-pitched, forced voice. He clearly looked annoyed to see them, even more so with Jim, who continued to stare. Since the human appeared to be trying to figure out what genus the man was, Spock spoke for him.

"Are you the station chief?"

His answer was quick, shaking his head and rolling his eyes since Jim was still being unintentionally rude. "No. Follow me." The man started off, Spock looking at Jim stoically but seriously.

"What?" Jim asked. Spock blinked slowly and raised a brow. "I find him interesting." Jim defended. Spock started off after the other man.

"I know that a lot has come to your attention recently, but rudeness is unbecoming of a man turning a new leaf." Jim looked a little taken, surprised, but then snickered to himself when he caught the small teasing smile in the elder eyes. He laughed again and followed behind. Liking Spock, who was his arch rival not but an hour ago, was going to take some getting used to.

The small officer led them down the corridor into what looked to be a large warehouse. There were things that were tarped and other large mechanical items sitting about. Engines, space parts, satellites, and tubes, glass containers, wires, and junk. Lots of junk. It looked like a garage sale gone wrong.

In the centre of it all was a desk topped with computers and systems, a humanoid figure was resting in the chair with his feet up and appeared to be asleep. The small officer tapped his boot as they came around. A hat concealed the man's face.

"Whaddya want?" The man asked under the hat.

"Visitors." He reported, and that got the man to lift up his hat and reveal a very human face. His expression, however, was less than cordial.

"Ye realize how unacceptable this is." Jim switched glances with Spock, but neither said a thing as the man dropped his feet to the floor and lifted his hat up enough to show more of himself.

"I'm sure it nae yer fault, and I know ye lads are just doin' yer jobs, but couldn't ye have come a bit wee sooner?" Jim went to say something, but found there was nothing to say as the man with the strong brogue began to talk about protein nibs, deliveries, and various other items Jim wasn't very familiar with.

"I know what this is!" He proclaimed, "Punishment! Ongoing fer something that was clearly ahn accident! That's why we have nothin' but a few nibs!"

"I'm sorry if this sounds less than professional," Jim interrupted, "but what the fuck are you talking about?" That made the man stop, his eyes dead on with Jim's.

"Food!" He shouted like Jim was an idiot. "I've been waitin' six months for Starfleet to make their delivery promises! Real food! Now, where is it?"

Out of the blue, Spock spoke. "You are Montgomery Scott." It was a statement, not a question. Both humans looked to the Vulcan. Jim was about to ask if he knew this guy, but then remembered Spock had guessed a lot of names to people he shouldn't know right now.

The man folded his arms and looked a bit smug. "Yes, that's me. Call me Scotty. Scotty the Hungry, Scotty the Underappreciated, Scotty the—Keenser! Get down!" He suddenly shouted, and all turned to look at the small officer who had gotten up on one of the tarped objects in the back. The officer they now knew as Keenser got down begrudgingly.

Spock continued even with the interruption. "You are the Mr. Scott who postulated the theory of trans-warp beaming." Jim suddenly had a double-take. This was _that_ Mr. Scott? He had read Montgomery Scott's paper back in the academy for a report and back on the _Narada_ as reading material, and now he was meeting him face to face and was a little disappointed. He had envisioned him differently.

Scotty nodded quickly. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm talkin' about! How do ye think I ended up here? I got into a debate with my instructor on the issue of Relativistic Physics as they pertained to subspace travel. _He_ seemed to think that the range of transporting say, a turkey sandwich, was limited to a few hundred miles." Here he gave a 'bah' sound of disapproval. "I told him not only could I beam a sandwich from one planet to the next, but if I were so inclined, I could do it with living tissue! So… I tested it on Admiral Archer's prized… beagle." Here, his voice stumbled and went off into a shallow tone.

"I read about that," Jim nodded, a little more impressed now than before, "what ever happened to that beagle?"

Scotty glanced his eyes around the room like he was a little ashamed. "I'll tell ye when it reappears. I must admit I feel a little guilty fer it." Jim tried not laugh but failed. Scotty turned to him.

"It isn'a funny. I'm stuck here starvin' because o' it! I'm telling ye that's why they put me here!"

"What about me?" Keenser asked in the distance. Scotty waved him off.

"Oye, they just didn'na like looking at _you_."

Keenser scoffed. "You ain't so pretty yourself, baldy." That made the Scotsman jump up a bit from his seat.

"Why I outta—" but he stopped short when Spock interrupted.

"What if I told you your trans-warp theory was correct? That it is indeed possible to beam onto a ship that is traveling at warp speed and that you only require the correct field equation to recrystallize dilithium?" Scotty sat back in chair, folded his arms tighter and huffed.

"I'd tell you that I'd want some o' whatever yer drinkin'! If such an equation had been discovered, I think I'da been told." Jim watched Spock's eyes turn into a gleam, as though he had been expecting that response. He paused and approached the Scotsman with hands behind his back stiffly.

"The reason you have not heard of it, Mr. Scott," he said delicately, "—is because you have not yet discovered it." That made the entire room go silent, Scotty switching glances between the elder and Jim. He looked skeptical with his mouth agape as if to protest. "Allow us access to your shuttle and I will show you what a genius you are."

…

"Yer out of ye bloomin' mind!" Scott shouted as Keenser and he took the tarp off the old shuttle. Spock went to the computers hurriedly. "Look, even if I believed what yer telling me—which I _don't_—we're still talkin' about a theory that's gonna slingshot you aboard a vessel that's traveling faster than the _speed of light!_ Even if it works, without a receiving pad that's gonna be like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet, blindfolded, riding a horse and playing the pipes!" He turned to Jim, "Tell yer grandpa to lay off the scotch!"

Spock continued to work at the computer, as though Mr. Scott wasn't blabbering on at all. Scotty approached him, the skepticism still strong in his look. Spock knew it would not remain there for long if he had anything to do with it.

"Look," Scott began again, "it's nice in theory, but that's all it is! A theory! If I'da discovered it, or thought about it like yer claiming, I think I would'a found it by now. Not to mention I'm more likely to believe I'm hallucinating from food deprivation than to think two strangers from the future are here to tell me how awesome I am!"

Jim shrugged. "Your theories are what helped put the Romulans in the space race. I studied your work in my free time through their databanks." Scotty rolled his eyes.

"Yes, from the future and _this_ guy's a Romulan." He shoved his thumb towards Jim.

"I'm not Romulan," Jim stated albeit a little angry, "I was raised on a Romulan ship from the future where this vulcan comes from, too."

Scotty laughed. "Even more believable, laddie!"

"It is finished." Spock announced and Scotty approached the computers.

"What's finished?"

Spock gave the Vulcan equivalent of a smile. "Your trans-warp equation." He walked on to Jim, Scotty remained behind and stared at the screen. When he read the equation, his face dropped and he blinked and rubbed his eyes a few times.

"I'll be damned." He laughed. "Imagine that! Nae occurred to me to think o' _space_ as the part that's movin'!" Jim laughed to himself. This character was quick to change his attitude.

"It _did_ occur to you." Spock corrected. "It is the Scott Equation, after all." The old Vulcan turned to Jim and beckoned him gently while Scotty smiled at the readout. "Come, Jim. We must get you to the _Enterprise_."

That caught the other officer's attention. "Wait, the _Enterprise_? She's already had her maiden voyage?" Being on Delta Vega it wasn't that surprising that he didn't already know.

Jim tried to look away. "For less than great reasons."

"She's a beaut, that one. You must'a done something verra right to get to touch her ample nacelles!"

"Or something very _wrong_ to get marooned by her." Jim said under his breath. Scotty stopped.

"Marooned? Ye mean to tell me they blasted you off her with force and ye are just gonna go right back? Am I associating with criminals as well as men from the future?"

Jim shrugged. "Nah, just a guy that tried to kill the captain, is all, oh, and that captain's older counterpart." The Scotsman blinked like he was trying to clear his head.

"Oye. If I wake up and find out this was a dream, I'm laying off the scotch!"

"No you won't." Keenser said in the distance. Scotty's face turned a bit red.

"Yer lucky I can'nae see you, ye little bastard! And with how much you drink, I'm lucky to get _sips_ these days!"

"You're a drunk!" His voice echoed from particularly nowhere.

"And _yer_ a lizard!" Jim grasped Scotty's shoulders to try and calm him. Scott got the message and cooled down, showing a pearly smile and gratitude. "I really do enjoy workin' with him." He dropped his voice into a whisper, "He's just a snippy little asshole, if ye know what I mean."

"Time is of the essence. We need to get Jim to the _Enterprise_ before the _Narada_ is out of range." Spock came to them and began pushing Jim back into one of the transporter pads. He then turned to Scotty, knowing this man would be a needed asset. "Mr. Scott, I ask that you go with him. He will need your expertise since the engineers will not be familiar with your equation. Logically, I predict you will need it."

Scotty hesitated. "Ye want me to go with him? On to a ship where he's," he pointed to Jim harshly, "been marooned for what I assumed to be mutiny?" Spock stared at him blankly, the officer taking a huge sigh and slapping his hands at his sides as if defeated. He got onto the other transporter pad. "Sure. I can'nea imagine my day getting' any more exciting than this. After discovering trans-warp equations, I got nothin' better to do anyway."

Spock nodded. "Thank you." He then led himself to the controls. Jim, feeling a small internal panic rushed from the pad to the barrier of the transporter.

"Hey, wait a second. Aren't you coming with us?" Jim asked, confusion written over him. The elder Spock shook his head softly.

"No, if I go with you, who will operate the controls?"

Scotty scoffed. "That's fer certain. Keenser can only be trusted to do _so_ much." Just then, something smacked Scotty in the head and plopped on to the floor.

"You bastard!" Keenser was heard again. Scotty, now a little angry, picked up what had been thrown at him. It was a full sandwich with one bite taken out of it.

"Yer the one who's the bastard! What if we had just been beaming, huh? I would have become half-man/half-sandwich thanks to ye, ye little cretin!" he paused and looked at the sandwich. "And where in the _hell_ did _you_ get a sandwich! Ye hoarding monster!"

Jim and Spock ignored the Scotsman's fight with Keenser who was hiding somewhere in the pile of junk that was this shuttle.

"Seriously," Jim added, "you're coming with us, right?" Spock still shook his head.

"No. I have other destinies awaiting me. I must attend to them. In the meantime, you and Mr. Scott must stop Nero at all costs. I will beam you both into the Engineering department. It is the greatest room for error for this transporter." He turned back to the controls.

"But, how else is Spock going to believe me if I tell him I've changed? He doesn't even know you're here! I think he's going to have a hard time thinking me logical if I tell him an older version of himself sent me back." Spock twirled around to face him.

"No, Jim. Under no circumstances can Spock know of my existence." That startled Jim.

"What? Why? I can't tell _you_ that I'm following _your own_ orders?" Spock shushed him.

"I ask that you trust me. This is one rule that you cannot break. To stop Nero, you must find a way to take command of your ship. Use logic, use force if necessary, but you must not let Nero escape. You are the only person besides myself that knows anything of his plans. He must be stopped." Jim nodded, he knew he was right but how was he supposed to do it? 'oh hey, Spock! I'm friendly now, isn't that just great'? Or 'yeah, I'm good now, so please don't take offense to the fact that I tried to, you know, kill you and all that'. Jim rolled his eyes. This was going to be hard.

"I don't know how you expect me to do it. Kiss him and tell him we were lovers in another life? At this point, I doubt he'll believe anything I have to say." A cool hand was placed over his lips, bringing Jim to silence. He looked up into the brown eyes staring back at him, the eyes that had frightened him for years but now looked so sad to him.

"You are James T. Kirk. You will find a way." The strength in those words held more meaning than Jim could understand. He blinked and stepped back unto the pad. If Spock believed he could do it, then perhaps he could. He needed to face his father, save Bones and all those innocent people that Nero was going to kill. His next target was earth, and Jim would not stand to let his father's treachery kill more. He had a mission and a second chance to set things right. There was just one more thing…

"Hey," Jim said as Spock readied the transporter, "you know, coming back in time to change history… that's cheating." Spock nodded his head in silent approval.

"A trick I learned from an old friend." The electricity he felt in that stare froze Jim. It was like he was seeing the Vulcan in a new light. All his life this Vulcan had been his enemy. All his life he had been taught to hate, to fear, to want to murder this man before him. And yet, it was this very man who was showing him compassion, love, and acceptance. Not even his own 'father' had given him these things.

Spock took a moment before he initiated the controls to raise his hand in the _ta'al. _"Live long, and prosper." Jim met him with an equally perfect _ta'al_, though he still considered his nature Romulan, so the departing words were Romulan. "_Jolan Tru;_ May your day find peace."

With a flick of the vulcan's wrist, the controls were started and he watched as the two officers were quickly beamed away.

_Good luck._

…

A/N – I hope this chapter made up for the slow update!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N – I'm sorry for the delayed update, but this has been quite a task since I'm trying to make this fit with the movie while having the new events and problems. As such, I'm frequent to writer's block (and re-writing complete chapters) since I hit a wall now and then seeing how some plotlines I want to work into this story, but then there are others I either have to scrap or change around completely. So, I hope you will forgive me! This is actually a little more difficult than I thought it would be, but I hope to stay true until the end. The reviews have simply been darling and have really helped to spur me on to keep going. (200+ reviews! omgwtfbbq!) Thanks so much for the support! On to Chapter 14!

…

The _Enterprise_ stealthily moved through the black void of space, her destination for the Laurentian system where other Federation starships had gathered until given further instruction. Though Acting Captain Spock knew they needed to arrive there in haste, he had ordered Mr. Sulu to travel at the low speed of warp 3.

He did not have a logical reason for this.

Spock was in the Observation room, standing by the transparent alloy window that gave him the view of the slow moving stars. He knew he should be on the Bridge, giving orders, letting his crew see how strong and logical he was, but Spock could not bear it. The pressure of Dr. McCoy's emotions over Mr. Kirk and the scene the criminal had left behind left little of his resolve for command. Which wasn't to say he was emotionally compromised, no, that was illogical, he could still command the ship to its full potential—but then, why did Spock _feel_ like something was wrong? Like something was missing? Like a part of him had suddenly vanished?

A voice behind him greeted him softly. "I would say that these feelings are because you have lost the only human attachment you have ever known." Spock did not turn, recognizing the voice, and saw out of the corner of his eye his father, Sarek of Vulcan (who had been among some of the survivors he had pulled from Vulcan), join him in the viewing. Sarek turned to him pointedly. "But, that would not be true, would it, Spock?"

The question made the younger Vulcan turn to him with curiosity. Sarek continued, "You have gained yet another human attachment. One you can not explain or logically admit to. For it is illogical for our people to feel strongly for these emotional creatures, the humans. We hold ourselves in higher regard than they do. We find ourselves needing not emotion." It was odd to hear Sarek say these things, even though Spock had always known his father to be that way. Still, it left questions in his mind.

"If this is true, Father," Spock began quietly, "then may I ask why you bonded Mother? Was it only logical?"

Sarek nodded. "It _was_ logical. Logical because Vulcans are not strangers to bonding with someone you love." Spock stared, uncertain what his father was trying to say. "I loved your mother, Spock. That is why I was bonded to her. And it seems to me now that you have also received my thirst for human companionship. For human _love_."

Spock turned away and stared out the alloy window. "That is illogical. Vulcans are without emotion. We can not love."

A warm hand was placed on his shoulder to turn him back. "Yet, you loved your mother very much." Sarek told him as a fact, not a question. "And even now, you find yourself conflicting with your love for another human. It is not shameful to love him, my son. It is shameful to _deny_ it."

Spock raised his brow delicately. "Him?" His voice nearly choked out. Sarek nodded.

"Him. The one named James Kirk. I am your father, you can not hide your feelings from me. Our bond is strong, albeit weaker than a usual Vulcan family, but I can sense it inside you that you love this person named James Kirk, for he is on your thoughts and refuses to be denied."

Spock looked away, "He is a traitor, Father." Sarek brought his gaze back with his hand.

"He is confused, and I am certain he will discover the logic he needs to realize this in time. From what I understand, you and Dr. McCoy planted doubt in him, meaning he must not be the entirety of the traitor you claim. With this, I am confident to say that the next time he crosses your path, he may be a new man. A man you can give your love to."

Spock pulled away from his father and distanced himself from this man whom had, not long before his mother's death, had refused to acknowledge him as his son for joining Starfleet instead of following his footsteps in to the Vulcan Science Academy. It was hard to accept his words now, when they had not spoken this profoundly in years.

"Why?" Spock suddenly asked in the silence. "Why are you doing this now?" Sarek remained quiet for many moments. Spock simply waited.

"Spock," Sarek hesitated, which was uncommon for an ambassador, "I tell you this now because not once did I ever tell Amanda how much I loved her. She knew, logically, but not once in our bonding did I ever say it aloud. And now, she will never know. It is too late. However, for you, it is not. I do not wish for my son to make my mistake, simply because of our heritage." Spock felt his father come up beside him again and take him illogically into his arms. Spock fell into his embrace, but did not hold him back.

"You are a child of both worlds. Only you can decide which path you will choose. I ask from a Vulcan heritage that you consider your options logically. Amanda would ask from a human heritage that you act upon your emotions and tell James Kirk of your feelings when you are ready. For you see, my son," here he pulled the younger Vulcan away just enough so he could see his face, "neither your mother nor I will be ashamed of you for doing what you feel is right. And I can see inside you now that your logic is telling you to command a full starship and put away your emotions, but your heart—your _heart_—is telling you to go back for James. There is never logic in love, my son. Do not try to make it so."

Sarek hugged him tightly once, then released him. It happened so fast that for a moment, Spock didn't know it had happened at all. His father made quick work with his feet and had already left by the time Spock realized his surroundings again. When the door was shut and he was alone, the Vulcan suddenly fell to his knees and released all the pent up emotions he had kept so far away from his heart. His father was right. It was shameful to deny it.

_I am in love with Jim Kirk._ He told himself, the tears fresh and hot down his cheeks. "I am in love…" He sobbed silently. "I am in love with my enemy…"

…

Spock came out on to the Bridge indifferently, like he hadn't spent the last hour crying unvulcanly in the Observation room. He made sure his appearance was tactful and tidy, then walked to the command chair with the authority he now held; this was no time to reflect upon unvulcan behaviour.

Upon sitting down and giving everyone a visual acknowledgement, Dr. McCoy, back in his uniform, came out of the turbolift.

"You asked for me, sir?" McCoy asked, and Spock nodded, standing up from his chair. He motioned with his hand for the doctor to follow him and they went over to a corner of the Bridge where no one particularly was working. He had called for the doctor immediately after his talk with his father. He didn't know if McCoy had heard the slight take in his voice that meant he had been upset, but the look on McCoy's face shown he was concerned.

"I wished to ask your opinion." Spock began, getting straight to the point. McCoy folded his arms patiently. Spock looked away momentarily before bringing back eye contact to show his seriousness. "I am considering the prospect of going back to the Vulcan system and retrieving Mr. Kirk from Delta Vega."

In point seven seconds, McCoy's face changed into one corresponding to surprise. For another second he didn't say anything at all. "_Why?_" he almost demanded too loudly, but caught himself and asked again and bit quieter. "Why?"

Spock had rehearsed his answer already. "Logically, Mr. Kirk already knows what Nero plans to do. This explains why he tried to convince us to go after the _Narada_ in the first place. We could either keep him as evidence for Starfleet or convince him that his punishment will be lessened if he helps us to stop Nero."

McCoy shook his head. "Jim would never buy into that. If he still thinks he's Romulan, he'll have the Romulan code of honour and would sooner commit suicide than help us."

"Exactly why I called for you, Doctor. I was hoping that you could help me to convince him since you were his closest friend and he wanted you to join sides with him prior to these events."

McCoy studied him warily. "What are you hoping to gain from this? This doesn't sound like it's stemming from any logic."

Spock inclined his head slightly. "You are correct. It is not logical, and I am merely going on a 'feeling', however, I have reason to believe that if he has not considered what we have told him, he still has a mission to kill me and would sooner cooperate to complete that task than risk it." The doctor fell into silence before he looked like he was about to protest again, but a small alert sounded by the helms station, stopping him. The young Russian boy looked up to Spock immediately.

"Keptin! There iz report that ther iz unauthorized access en the water turbine kontrol board!" Spock switched glances with the doctor who gave a look that it couldn't be what they thought. Quickly, Spock went over to his station and asked him to pull up the camera surveillance. What they saw nearly made Spock show blatant emotion.

On the screen, he saw a strange man helping up a very wet Mr. Kirk from the floor. Spock couldn't explain how he came to get so wet or why this other unknown officer would have opened the water turbine, but he was anything but surprised at this point. Mr. Kirk was, without a doubt, a very unique individual. However _infuriating_ that uniqueness may be.

McCoy huffed beside him. "Why am I not surprised? Is this irony or karma? I'm having a hard time telling the difference lately."

"I don't understand," Sulu said on the other side of Mr. Chekov, "I was sure you sent him planetside. There's no way he could have beamed aboard! We're still in warp!"

Spock's glare grew dark, but curious. It was a question that needed an answer, but on the other side of his thoughts, he felt strangely relieved. "He is Kobayashi Alternative, and was raised by future Romulans. As Dr. McCoy said, I am not surprised. Someone in that position would easily have access to knowledge we have yet to discover for ourselves. As such, all precautions will be taken immediately." He turned on the intercom on the helm.

"Security, this is the captain. Seal engineering deck and bring me the intruders in turbine station three—" he looked at McCoy once as if for approval, but all the Vulcan saw was aggravated sadness, "set phasers to stun."

…

Jim and Scotty were flanked out of engineering and were violently ushered up to the Bridge where Jim assumed Spock had ordered they bring them. It wasn't so bad to be manhandled so much as it was to be manhandled and _wet_. The elder Spock said he was beaming them into engineering to lessen the chance of error, but he had been short a few metres, placing the Scotsman on solid floor and Jim in a water turbine tube. Had Scotty not been quick with his knowledge, Jim would have either drowned or been turned into steam. He was sure to make a mental note to thank Scotty properly at the next available chance.

Security pushed them into the turbolift, not long after depositing them on the still very new Bridge. Waiting for them was Acting Captain Spock and beside him stood none other than Bones. Seeing his best friend stand beside whom he had thought his enemy hours prior made his throat tighten with trained jealousy and suspicion, but Jim quelled it. These two were no longer his enemies and Bones was still his friend—he hoped. As the officers wrestled them to their knees, Spock and Bones approached them stiffly. Jim really hoped Bones had meant it when he said he loved him. He was going to need that love and trust now more than ever.

"You've come back." He heard Spock say ghostly. Jim shrugged his shoulders and avoided all eye contact, his nervousness of the situation making him fall back into sarcasm.

"Surprise?" Jim grimly smiled, but the attention didn't stay focused on him for long. When he looked up, he saw Acting Captain Spock eyeing Scotty as though he were a strange science project. Before he could question, Jim quickly jumped in to keep focus on himself and not the means he used to return.

"This is officer Montgomery Scott. He's with Starfleet, not me. He discovered a revolutionary equation that allowed me to beam back aboard this ship at warp. He's a victim;" Jim said grimly, "I threatened him to help me." Scotty looked up very confused. Jim looked back, but said nothing to him.

"Now wait jus' ah second—!" He went to reply, but Jim cut him off.

"I threatened to blow up his outpost if he didn't get me aboard the _Enterprise_ and then I forced him to come with me as a hostage." Jim peered darkly into the eyes of Bones who looked completely terrified of him, like he was seeing an animal and not the man he knew. "I over-estimated my abilities and was sure I wouldn't get caught once aboard. I came back…" Jim hesitated, seeing everyone around him look at him with fear and hatred, "I came back to finish my mission. To kill you, Mr. Spock." Gasps were heard, and the officers' grip on his body tightened. "It would be _logical_ to detain me in the Brig."

Bones turned to the Vulcan, his eyes saying something Jim couldn't translate. Spock inclined his head slightly, then nodded to the security. "Take Mr. Kirk to the Brig. Dr. McCoy, please take Mr. Scott to Sickbay for evaluation." The Bridge was eerily silent as the orders were fulfilled. The officers forced Jim up to his feet and escorted him into the turbolift. Everyone watched while he gave no fight. Once inside, Jim gave a grim smirk, a glance at Bones, Spock, Scotty and Uhura, then looked away just as the doors swished around them.

Dr. McCoy walked to Mr. Scott and took his arm to lead him to the turbolift next. The Scotsman looked up, but said nothing. Then, he guided the man away, turning once to whisper to Spock, "He was lying."

Spock nodded. "I know." McCoy went to leave, but Spock uncharacteristically grasped his shoulder. "You know Mr. Kirk well," he began in hush, "is there any likelihood he has considered what we have told him? That his reason for being here is one of peace?" Bones hesitated and glanced away.

"God, I hope. I hope, Spock."

…

The Brig was nicer than Jim had expected. It was far roomier than the holding cells at Starfleet Academy, and the cot was actually comfortable save for the blanket being nothing more than a thin sheet. He sat on the cot for nearly half and hour, giving him enough time to get from wet to slightly damp, and doing nothing more but twiddling his thumbs when he heard the doors open down the corridor.

Jim looked up, hoping it was Bones and that the man had caught his underlying message, but whom he saw was no less preferred. It was Spock.

The electric magnetic field that enclosed him inside the cell was turned off, Spock stepping inside while on his heels telling the security guards to leave. They left promptly, but unsteady, and Jim too looked up at him with puzzlement. The Vulcan didn't turn the field back on, but instead stepped into the cell and pulled out a hand phaser.

Jim's eyes blew open wide.

Spock turned the setting logically, slowly, and allowed every click of the weapon to resonate until it was on its highest setting: kill. With grace only Spock could conceive, he lifted the phaser and pointed it directly at Jim's head. Jim gulped, but otherwise shown nothing. If anything, Jim understood he deserved to die, and maybe it was for the best. Though he wanted to make things right, stop his father, and prove himself worthy of trust, Jim hadn't thought of any way possible to prove this in mere minutes. Jim was scared, but held his head high and strong. He may be human physiologically, but mentally, he was all Romulan.

When Jim stood up from the cot, the phaser followed. It was silent for many minutes, both men staring at the other with expressions neither could read. Finally, when Jim was about to acknowledge this was his end, he heard a horrible sound that startled him. Spock had thrown the phaser to his feet, and it skidded until it touched his boot—still charged and set on kill.

Spock took a moment to breathe twice before speaking. "If you have come to fulfill your mission—you may do so now." A longer pause as Jim studied the phaser at his feet. "I will not run; I will not call for assistance. A shuttle lay in wait for you should you escape the Brig without alerting security." Spock stared into him with eyes that looked much like how elder Spock had stared at him in the icy cave. He found himself flitting between them. "The decision… is yours."

The human didn't move, unsure what to expect from this situation. Spock stood not but a few feet away, willing to die, and for what? Jim knew now his heritage was a lie and that this life had been a cogwheel in his father's hatred machine. There was no longer anything to gain from this vulcan's death. And what was worse…

…Jim did not want to kill him.

He _never_ had.

It hit him like a wall as Jim thought about what elder Spock had asked him, why he hadn't killed his younger counterpart when he had the chance. It seemed clear to him now, and the memories from the old Vulcan only added solidity to this fact. Was it truly destiny for them to come together as friends? And for that friendship to blossom into more?

Even if that was total bullshit in Jim's opinion, wasn't it worth at least a try?

Jim picked up the phaser and noticed Spock's slight upbeat in breath. He didn't move, but held himself firm, placing his hands behind his back and meeting Jim's blue stare with deep brown. Jim turned the weapon over a few times and smiled to himself softly. Now he knew what he was going to do.

He pointed the phaser directly at Spock's side, where both knew his heart was, and began in a low order, "Come here." Spock dutifully obeyed and approached him, stopping a few steps before him for a comfortable distance.

"Give me your right hand." Jim demanded, and there too, Spock obeyed and relinquished his right hand. Jim took it into his own and tugged harshly, unexpectedly, and drew the Vulcan close to his breast. Their noses brushed in the closeness.

The same hand that held the vulcan's like a fiery cuff, then brought his hand up to the human's temple, the other hand with the phaser pointing directly at Spock's head. "_Meld with me_." Jim ordered, but his voice was softer than it had been before. His breath bounced back off lips that had fallen open, but the curiosity laid bare for Jim to notice.

Spock wavered for an instant, but with the persuasion of the phaser at his own temple, he complied and placed gentle pads on Jim's warm face. The human fell into it like he had done it a thousand times before and closed his eyes. Spock did the same.

"My mind to your mind." Spock whispered. _My thoughts, to your thoughts._

…

Unlike with the ambassador, this meld felt oddly gentle and full, unlike the loneliness he had experienced upon entering the mind of his enemy. Spock's thoughts bounced like colours inside him, uncertain what to do or what he should be doing. Jim, a novice himself to this kind of experience, tried to guide Spock with images and echoing words to the right location of his mind. It wasn't nearly as visual as elder Spock's meld, but the affects were the same. In a blur of moving pictures, Jim released as much as he dared from his experience on Delta Vega, trying not to alert Spock he had come in contact with him from the future.

He sent out waves of love and acceptance, how his mind must have been trying to right itself due to the nature of his role in a ripped universe. He showed his fear and hatred for Nero, his care and respect for Ayel, and then where his loyalties now stored.

Spock seemed confused, though Jim wasn't sure how he knew, and decided it best to show him when Jim thought it began and where it was now.

He began back at the academy, showing his liking to the person whom had caught him in his hacking. How it made Jim feel to find someone worthy of his time and knowledge. Then, he went through the emotions he felt with Bones, Uhura, and even Pike. How it felt to be protected by his enemy when Pike went to slap him, and how much love Jim felt for Bones when the man risked his entire career to save him from Starfleet brass.

He visually weighed the feelings he had developed for all of them against the one emotion he desired from Nero and discovered just how little he cared for Nero anymore. How it had been outweighed by the sheer friendship and love the ones he now considered friends had shown him. Jim could feel himself crying but was unsure if it was real or not.

Then Jim laid it out flat for them both, the real reason why Jim thought he couldn't kill Spock. Jim had fallen in love with his enemy. Jim desired a friendship with this Vulcan that he had grown to hate and hoped to himself it wasn't too late to make things right, and that it wasn't too late to accept his friends' help.

_"Romulan or Human," McCoy hesitated, "Jim Kirk is still my best friend. Whether belonging to a slave trading ring or raised on a ship of Romulans; Jim Kirk is still my best friend." He barely whispered. "Living a lie or accepting the truth… Jim," he said pleadingly into the Human's eyes, "_you're_ my best friend. I love you, man."_

"_He loves you too,"_ Jim could literally feel from Spock. "_And I must admit that even I…_" But the thought came incomplete. When Jim tried to ask what he was saying, the meld suddenly ended. Jim felt his body come back to him as a gush of air filled his lungs. He wrapped himself in Spock's arms who tried to hold him steady, but his legs felt weak, both men toppling on to the cot.

Jim felt his cheeks cool with moisture and noted he had actually cried. Spock didn't appear to mind, though, and delicately released him. They stared at the other, and Jim noticed he was still holding the phaser. With one flick of his wrist, he tossed it away and let it _clank_ on the floor.

"So you _were_ lying," Spock barely breathed out, his voice airy and soft. "You did not come back to kill me, and Mr. Scott was not your hostage. Then—why _did_ you come back?"

Jim sat beside him in silence for what felt like an eternity. He smiled, tried to regain himself and took Spock's hand into his warmly. It tingled pleasantly.

"Because I _am_ James T. Kirk." He grinned. "And it's high time I prove it."

…

When Acting Captain Spock ordered the sudden conference on the Bridge, everyone knew it was because the time for action was running out. Sulu had been ordered to stop the ship, much to everyone's bewilderment, and most were waiting for further orders.

Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and Bones were all present and waiting for the captain to return from wherever he was in the depths of the _Enterprise_. Most assumed he was interrogating Mr. Kirk for information on Nero, so all were baffled when Spock stepped out of the turbolift with Mr. Kirk at his side.

Jim stayed directly behind Spock, not so much to use him as a shield as it was respect for a senior officer. Though, it didn't hurt to use precaution considering the moment the Bridge crew caught sight of him, they all stiffened and looked ready to jump him at any moment.

Bones was the first to step up harshly to the men, a look of complete anger etched into his features. "Spock, are you out of your Vulcan mind! What's _he_ doing here?"

Spock did not falter. "Rest assured, Doctor, I am aware of what I am doing. There is no need for alarm. Mr. Kirk is on our side."

Chekov was quick to interject. "But, Keptin! He tried to _keel_ you!"

"Yeah," Sulu added, "and he _used_ me to help with the destruction of Vulcan."

"Framed me as Kobayashi." Uhura muttered.

"And played with my emotions, and used Pike to get him into Starfleet in the first damn place!" Bones all but shouted. "And now, you're expecting us to _trust_ him?"

"Thanks, Bones." Jim said under his breath.

"Shut up, Jim." Bones seethed with a harsh point. "I've got a scar on my back that pretty much dissolves any trust I'll give you again." Spock noticed the gulp Jim gave, and the grim look on his face as he looked away. With everything Spock knew about their relationship, he knew McCoy couldn't possibly have meant that.

"I am knowledgeable that this is a lot to take in," Spock began, ignoring the unprofessional rolling of the eyes from them, "however, I have reason to believe that Mr. Kirk is indeed on our side because I melded with him and saw the truth for myself." Uhura looked astonished, but most of the others didn't seem to catch the significance of what he had told them.

"If you are unfamiliar with Vulcan mind melds, that means that I gained entry into Mr. Kirk's mind where lies are virtually impossible for a non-telepath. There, I discovered the truths Mr. Kirk could not admit to upon capture out of fear of not being believed."

Bones huffed and refolded his arms. "Damnit man, I'm a doctor not a physic! How the hell are we supposed to know Jim _didn't_ lie to you? That this is another Kobayashi Alternative and a plot from the Romulans?" Spock didn't know what to say to that, but as he went to speak, Jim stepped out from behind him and approached Bones weakly, like he was encountering a wild creature he didn't want to scare away.

"Bones," he paused, scratching the back of his neck and trying to discover the right words. It took more strength than he thought possible to begin again. "I'm not perfect. I ruin replicated meals, I can't hide pills worth shit, and tinkering with machinery until it explodes is the M.O. for most terrorists—but, before you knew I was Romulan, or a spy, you ignored all that and still cared about me."

He looked to Uhura. "And Tabitha—I mean, Nyota, I'm a real loser. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and so strong that the moment I met you I _knew_ you were something special and different. You put up with my ego and gave me a run for my money when we sparred. And before you discovered I was Kobayashi Alternative, you trusted me and I was fool enough to let it go. Even with that knowledge, you still defended me from Pike. You cared about me too."

Jim turned to Sulu and Chekov. "Mr. Chekov, I hardly know you, but you're a freaking genius. If anything, _you_ deserve to have the honour of being the first to beat the _Kobayashi Maru_ Exam fairly, and I'm sure my antics ruined a lot of hope for you." Chekov looked away but nodded slightly. Jim continued, "And Mr. Sulu, you risked your life for a complete stranger, someone that Pike hardly trusted, but you still put your life on the line for."

Sulu also looked away. "You saved my life as well, Mr. Kirk." Jim looked up to Bones and held his gaze, which hadn't changed a bit.

"The fact is, yes, I was the enemy. Yes, I did do most of these fuck ups for my father Nero, but—serving with you all made me realize that what I wanted—what I _needed_ was with me all along." They all stared at him, but the looks softened. He looked pointedly at Uhura. "Friendship." He looked to Sulu. "Trust." He looked to Bones. "Family." Lastly, he turned to Spock. "Love." Something ignited over their eyes, but broke the moment Jim turned away back to face everyone else.

"Romulan or Human, I'm still James T. Kirk. Nothing can change that. Not even Nero could change that when he entered our universe and took me aboard the _Narada_. I come to you all now as I should have the day I met you. Human and weak. But _together_, we are strong and together, we can stop my father before he does any more destruction. I no longer ask for your trust, but your help."

Bones looked down at him as he took the man's hands into his. Jim kissed the knuckles gently. "Will you help me?"

McCoy looked uncertain. "Jim…" Then it happened and broke all at once. McCoy didn't care that others were watching. He grasped Jim tightly around his shoulders and held him close, almost sobbing into his shorter height, but managed to restrain himself. Jim, taken aback, didn't know how to react until the grip tightened on him and he found himself hugging the taller man back. "You're such an idiot…" McCoy breathed into his neck.

"I know." Jim replied.

"You're a fucking moron and so damn annoying…"

"I know."

"But, I love you, Jim."

"I love you too, Bones."

"Just, God, please tell me this is really you and not some front." Jim stroked his back, noticing he could feel the dip where the new tissue was still healing from his horrible attack with the stylus.

"It's me." Jim whispered, clutching the other man. "Thanks to you, it's me." The embrace tightened. "Thanks for showing me the truth, Bones."

"Thanks for finally believing it." Jim nodded into his shoulder and looked around at the others to gauge their responses. Uhura was trying to stop tears from stinging into her eyes and wiping them away as they fell, Sulu and Chekov were sharing a knowing look and holding hands tightly, and at last, Spock was turned away. He didn't seem affected by the scene, only giving them privacy. Jim couldn't tell, but he looked almost sad.

Bones finally released him and there he could see even the doctor had even failed to prevent minor moisture in his eyes. He slapped his shoulder and smiled with a sniffle. "Well, Jim, I'm not sure about the rest of them, but you have my complete support and trust."

Uhura nodded. "Welcome back, Kirk."

"Let's go stop a Romulan!" Sulu cheered with a small smile from Chekov.

"Indeed," He heard Spock say lightly, "the time for action is now."

Jim smiled warmly, fully, and for the first time with _real_ hope.

…

The Bridge crew discussed with their captain and newly welcomed first officer Mr. Kirk for what felt like hours, but was only a few heated minutes. As they conversed ideas for what they should do to confront Nero and save Earth, Spock began to notice a pattern. Jim was quick with ideas, some illogical, but very good for their situation, the only problem was that he kept looking to the captain for approval because he didn't want to step on who the real commanding officer was.

Spock knew he could command a starship if he had to, but this was a unique situation where he didn't need to. It was logical that since Mr. Kirk knew what Nero planned to do, he should conduct the mission. However, when he voiced this, it was met with surprise.

"Wait," Jim began with furious blinking that normally happened when humans were unsure they heard correctly, "you want _me_ to be the captain?"

"It would be illogical to prevent your orders simply because of the chain of command. You know what Nero is like and how he will function. Logically, you should be the one to conduct this mission in my place." The Vulcan looked to the crew and saw their nods in agreement. "Should you accept, consider our positions switched, Mr. Kirk." He looked to McCoy. "Dr. McCoy, be sure to log the date and time for Starfleet."

All sat in silence while Jim thought on it. It was true that he kept looking to Spock to approve any ideas he came up with, but was he ready to captain an entire crew? When he looked at the young Vulcan, he was going to decline the position, but something stopped him. The same eyes of elder Spock were staring back at him through Spock's, believing in him that he could do it. Giving him unknown strength. With nothing to lose, Jim accepted the position and pushed the intercom button on the command chair. Before speaking, he looked one last time to Spock, showing him there was still time to back out. But none came.

"Mr. Spock has resigned his position as acting captain advancing it to me, Kirk. I know his initial orders were to have us regroup with the fleet, but I am ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to earth.

"I want all departments at battle stations and ready in ten minutes. Mr. Spock has stepped down to acting first officer and any questions you may have with the chain of command may be dealt through him or directly with me. Kirk out."

Bones smirked and shook his head. "Congratulations, Jim. You're now the captain."

"Yeah," he said to himself, mostly, because it felt so weird taking command of the _Enterprise_ without having to kill anybody.

"So what are your orders, sir?" Spock asked directly, firmly and completely professional. Jim had to stand back for a moment and really look at his situation. He was now the _captain_. It made his head buzz with the realization he now commanded over four-hundred crewmembers. Somehow, though, it felt like he had done this before and that this wasn't the first time Spock had looked to him for orders. Jim wanted to blame the memories he had seen from the older Spock, but another part of him prevented it. Perhaps this was destiny. Perhaps, the universe _was_ trying to mend itself.

Jim gave a large grin. "My orders," he replied with authority, "are to set a course for earth and find a way to beam on to the _Narada_ and steal the Red Matter."

"Red Matter?" Uhura asked. Jim nodded, realizing they had no idea what that device was, though it had been the centre object around Nero's revenge.

"The Red Matter is the device that caused that… you know," his voice trailed off a bit, feeling guilty. "the black hole." He cleared his throat, trying to also clear the guilt, "And that's why we need to steal it before he gets a chance to use it on earth."

"But sir," Sulu said, "with the speed the _Narada_ was going, they'll be in geosynchronous orbit around earth in ten minutes. We'll never make it even if we went full warp after them now." Jim was just about to suggest they use Scott's equation for trans-warp technology, but then dismissed it. They had no way of predicting where the _Narada_ would be. Speaking of which, "Where is Scotty?"

As if on cue, the turbolift doors opened and out walked Scotty dressed in a red uniform. His smile couldn't have been larger when he saw Jim. "Present an' accounted fer, Cap'n Kirk. The good doc had told me tha' I was'a needin' nutrition an' as soon as I got that, I'da be fit fer duty."

Jim laughed. "Glad to see the hostage situation turned out for the best." He mocked. Scotty also laughed and joined them, planting a warm hand on Jim's shoulder.

"Oye, if this is how ye treat hostages, then by all means—feel free to capture me anytime!"

Just then, a tiny voice interrupted the laughter. "Keptin Kirk, sir?" Jim turned to look at Chekov at the helm. The boy had been so quiet during the discussion, he almost forgot he was present.

"Yes, Chekov?" The boy faltered and seemed to be debating something in his head when he suddenly looked up with passion and certainty.

"While eweryone was dikussing ideas, I was going through data and diskowered that Nero will trawel past Saturn based on his kourse frum Wulcan. This is just en idea, but, if we were to drop out of warp behind the moon Titan, the magnetic distorshun frum thee planeet's rings would make us inwisible to Nero's sensors. We kould follow him to Earth by staying in his blind spot."

"Blind spot?" Jim asked; he lived on the _Narada_ his whole life and never knew about a blind spot. And if this was true, then that meant his father might not know about it either.

Chekov nodded and continued. "Its exhaust wake. If we adjust our shield frequencies, they shudn't detekct us." Jim thought about it and laughed to himself.

"I'll be damned. You're right." Jim said, running the statistics he knew about the _Narada_ through his head. It seemed this time period Starfleet wasn't so full of idiots after all. "If Sulu can maneuver us into position, we'll be within range to beam aboard and steal the Red Matter."

Spock immediately stepped up, agreeing to the plan. "I nominate myself to beam aboard for this task." Jim had a double-take.

"I'm not going to order you to do that, Spock. At least, not alone. Really, I should be the one to do it. I was raised there, I know where everything is and finding the Red Matter will be easier."

Spock nodded quickly. "Then I ask permission to join you. Logically, turning on your people will result in you needing back-up. Also," he paused, "in case your loyalties shift again, it would be logical if someone was there to alert the crew."

Jim tried to smother a smile, but failed. "Don't you trust me, Mr. Spock?" Spock didn't answer right away, but took his time as he approached the acting captain.

"Hindsight is telling me not to let my guard down, _Kobayashi Alternative_." At that, Jim couldn't hide it any more and laughed. When he looked up, Spock was also smiling in his own way.

"Looks like we're getting to know each other." Jim meant it with full sincerity.

"Indeed." Spock agreed.

…


	15. Chapter 15

…

Earth, a planet that neither Ayel nor the rest of the _Narada_ crew had seen in years, sat on their view screen like a giant blue ball of misty white clouds and vibrant hues. The sun glinted from the left and perfectly sculpted its terrain with cosmic warmth. The serenity of its orbit gave no hint of the destruction to come.

Had Ayel known that Jim was still on its surface, he would have used every ounce of strength he had left to prevent the orders from going through that were now readying the drill to enter Earth's atmosphere. He knew it was ridiculous to still feel guilt for his mission after he had already taken part in Vulcan's demise, but another part of him was beating at his conscious with the reminder that this planet was Jim's unknown home world. Jim would never know the truth behind his birth, his heritage, or that he had loved an uncle that told him neither.

A helmsman passed Ayel to his station upon Nero's order to deploy the recently repaired drill. Before the officer could begin, the commander grabbed his arm and held him within whispering range. The officer, whom Ayel knew was Chevak, looked up into his eyes with question.

"Have there been any further transmissions from Jim?" Ayel asked quietly. Chevak hesitated and then shook his head.

"No, Commander. The last transmission we were able to intercept was to Starfleet Headquarters. They were alerting their command that they were rejoining the fleet waiting in the Laurentian system." He saw the shadow ghost over Ayel's eyes as the commander released him. "All communications officers are on standby and have been told to search every ten minutes for any transmissions coming from that direction or from the _Enterprise_ itself."

Ayel promptly nodded, but his mind now seemed distant and occupied, as it had been since Nero's learning of the potential mutiny. Chevak hated seeing the strong commander this way, but he was no fool. He understood that among everyone else aboard their ship, Ayel had been the closest to Jim. Jim had taken the place in his heart where his wife and children had once been. No one ever brought the emotion to Ayel's attention out of fear of reprimand, but all knew that Ayel was nothing without his nephew, and they were nothing without Ayel.

_Please come back to us, Jim._ Chevak thought to himself while he sat at his station. _For Ayel's sake, please come back to us._

…

The _Enterprise_ dropped out of warp smoothly, but full of tension. The seconds passed like hours, as everyone was made aware that Nero would reach earth before them. All knew that they may drop from warp and see their planet already in the clutches of becoming a black hole, so when they saw the large _Narada_ hovering delicately over the blue ball in orbit, the tether of the drill just now dropping, they were relieved and hopeful they were not too late.

Spock and Jim were already heading to the Transporter room when they heard Sulu announce over the intercom: _"We are in geosynchronous orbit with the _Narada_. No current signs that we have been detected."_

Once in the Transporter room, Jim palmed the intercom to the Bridge. "Good work, Mr. Sulu. Just remember that whatever happens, if you have tactical advantage, fire on the ship. Even _if_ we're still aboard her. That's an order." Sulu acknowledged, clicking off the link while Spock handed Jim a communicator. The Vulcan gave himself an addition of a phaser.

"Why do you get a phaser and I don't?"

Spock raised his brow. "You must forgive my precaution that I think you may use it on me."

Jim nodded. "I suppose I could always try to steal yours while my family gangs up on you." They both stepped up on to the pad and faced each other. Spock looked indifferent that the man he had advanced to captain was joking about a possible betrayal.

"No need to worry, Captain. If such an occurrence does happen, I have set my communicator to signal the _Enterprise_ a specific order that will save most of the crew."

Jim rolled his eyes as he got into position. "You're trust is _astounding_."

"No." Spock offered, "It is logical. Though I may trust you, Mr. Kirk, I still hold responsibility for the safety of the crew. Though your treachery is unlikely to occur due to my knowledge from our meld, I still must take precaution in case of… emergency." Jim understood and smiled. Better to be safe than sorry, he mused.

"According to ye coordinates," Scotty said from the transporter controls, "it appears I'll be'a placin' ye in the cargo bay. Are ye certain no one will be in there, laddie?" Jim nodded tersely.

"Actually, I have no idea, Scotty. But, the cargo bay will likely be sparsely sprinkled with officers if there are any stationed there." With that, the new captain turned to Spock and held his gaze with intensity. "If there are any officers, don't be afraid to shoot. Don't _kill_ them, but don't endanger yourself either. If what I remember from Hanaj is true, most of them aren't going to be up for a fight anyway." Spock acknowledged him as he continued to describe the rest of the agreed plan.

"I think the Red Matter device is in the main hangar, but I'll run through the ship's computers to make sure." He lied, since he knew it was on board the _Jellyfish_, elder Spock's ship that had been captured, but he couldn't let Spock know that. He had to 'discover' it. "Once we figure out where it is, find a way to get it away from my father and I'll go look for Captain Pike. He'll probably be in the isolated holding cells, not the Brig. When I have him, I'll give the order to Sulu any way I can get it to him and have us beamed back here for further instruction."

Both men took up a stiff stance as Jim nodded to Scotty. "Energize." Jim ordered, and just as the Bridge crew saw the drill dip into range on earth, both captain and first officer were beamed away. It would be mere seconds before the drill would be activated and the officers would lose all communication and transporter functions. They would be all alone and at the mercy of Jim's dependability.

…

The moment Jim could sense his surroundings again, he had to stop and admire the cargo bay of his childhood. His smile widened as memories flooded his thoughts of turning hovercrafts into go-karts, but all were brought to an abrupt halt when he saw six crewmen working the cargo consoles. They recognized Jim and were quick to draw their weapons.

Suddenly, a long arm grasped Jim around his throat and brought him up against a hard chest. Jim struggled for only an instant as he tried to observe his attacker, when he felt an object placed to his temple. Jim looked up astonished to see the person who had done this was none other than his first officer, and he had his phaser trained directly to his head. The six Romulans stopped quickly upon this scene.

"Shoot and I will kill him." Spock said to the Romulans that Jim knew. As if they were seeing a ghost, or perhaps actually cared about him, the Romulans switched glances with each other and dropped their weapons to the ground.

"Don't listen to him!" Jim shouted, performing admirably. "Shoot him! He's got me hostage!" While they sat in confusion about what to do, and Spock also looking confused as to whether Jim was being serious or not, Jim quickly wrestled the phaser from Spock's grip and shot the Romulans with the weapon. They dropped quickly to the floor unconscious.

Jim hoped it had been on the stun setting and rushed to their sides to check their pulses. Spock joined him. "Warm me next time before you do something like that, 'kay?"

"My apologies," Spock began, "my intention was to prevent them from shooting us." Jim checked the last one and was thankful he was still breathing. He decided to ignore the vulcan's method of stopping his friends since it worked, and went directly over to the cargo bay computer terminal.

His fingers flew over it hurriedly as he accessed the data he was looking for. "As I thought, the Red Matter device is in the main hangar." Suddenly, an alert sounded and red lights flashed on and off. Spock looked around for the source.

"Captain?"

"Shit." Jim bellowed, and began pushing Spock in the direction of the hangars. "We've set off the security alarms. We've got to move—now!"

…

The planet Earth would have been turned into a spinning black mass of gravity sooner had disaster not struck the plasma drill on Vulcan. Ayel did not know what had happened, but the chief engineer had informed them it had been some sort of explosive device. Repairs were quick and brought back to operational, however, the data still needed to be monitored in case of emergency failure. That was the commander's new job, assigned to him from Nero so the captain—his friend—could keep an eye on him from the Bridge. Though Nero had his complete loyalty, Nero was becoming insecure with rumour of yet another mutiny. Ayel did not know whom the crew had secretly chosen as their next champion, but he hoped the man would succeed before the Red Matter was ignited. Nero needed to be stopped before more innocent people were killed.

His attention was so fixed and numb on his terminal, that the commander nearly missed the sudden alert on his screen. In red Romulan text were the words: INTRUDER – CARGO BAY, but with how often the cargo officers tripped the security alarms, it wasn't worth noting or taking for a serious threat. He was about to close the alarm link, ignore it completely, when the camera surveillance initiated and brought the image of the scene to his terminal.

Ayel's heart froze at his side.

Were his eyes lying to him? The camera zoomed and shown the commander exactly what his heart desired and what he feared all at once. Jim was safe, alive, and finally back aboard the _Narada_, but with him—_Spock_. He thought it was Jim leading the Vulcan into a sense of security, that Jim was on their side as he had fabricated for years, but Ayel somehow knew that was no longer true.

He forced the camera to follow them out into the corridors and felt his body sink as he observed his nephew. His eyes looked different, not full of hatred like Nero had raised him, and the longing look he gave the Vulcan as he ducked him behind a corner, and the way their hands easily touched. Even the unemotional younger Vulcan was expressing a different form of affection for his nephew that could only be caught by a trained eye. It hurt, but Ayel kept his face as neutral as he had when Nero confronted him about mutiny. Jim was no longer his. Jim was no longer apart of their family. Somehow, his nephew had come to find the truth.

Jim was now the enemy.

"Ayel," a harsh, dark voice called from behind him, "you have been watching that alert camera for a time." Ayel dutifully swiveled in his chair to face his captain. The only one he still had. "Is there a problem?"

The commander didn't respond. He simply stared into the powerful eyes of his brother, his friend, and captain. He owed Nero his life several times over, and though rumoured mutiny typically led to the death of the accused, Nero had once again spared his life. He may not trust him now as much as he had when they were children, but by Romulan code Ayel owed him the very blood in his veins, and he had given it to him several times when the man fell into lustful desire for the taste of flesh. Nero owned him. He served only Nero. He belonged to him body and soul.

But then there was Jim…

_Nephew…_

Jim was not owned by Nero. Jim did not owe his father his flesh, nor his blood. Jim could be set _free_. With a heavy hand, Ayel closed the terminal link and kept his jaw stiff with professionalism.

"It is nothing, my friend." Ayel nearly whispered. "A false alarm." With nothing further to say, Ayel went back to his duties, completely ignoring the suspicious stare Nero was giving him. _I may be trapped by you, Nero,_ Ayel told himself, _but you will _not_ have my Jim._

…

Since Jim anticipated that most of the crew would be monitoring the drill, he had no trouble leading Spock through the corridors and down secret passages that would take them to the main hangar. He did this mainly to avoid any Romulans still on the lower decks. After stunning six people he knew, Jim felt he didn't have the heart to stun anymore. Internally, he was thankful Spock didn't issue him a phaser for the pure idea that he may have used it on himself sooner than his friends and family.

Upon entry using the password Jim had learned from the _Narada_'s main engineer Salis, they were first brought face to face with Captain Pike's shuttle and a larger vessel that Jim immediately recognized as the ship from elder Spock's memories. It was a lot bigger than it had looked in the memory.

"That's Pike's shuttle, so the Red Matter device must be on that vessel." He pointed to the _Jellyfish,_ "I've never seen it before," Jim directly lied, feeling a tad guilty, "so I'm guessing that's where it would be kept."

Spock crouched beside him when they both heard a noise in the distance. Their voices dropped into whispers. "If the device in on that vessel, removing it from the _Narada_ will be slightly less difficult than I had anticipated." Spock told him. "I may be able to pilot it to a safe distance where I can set off the Red Matter and destroy the device, preventing it for future use."

Jim looked around to make sure no one else was in the area before he grasped Spock's shoulder and began making a run for the Vulcan vessel. On quick feet, they made it to the entrance where Spock analyzed the entrance interface as Jim kept watch. So far, Jim saw no one, and nearly jumped from his skin when Spock unexpectedly touched his shoulder.

"There may be a problem." Spock said flat and even.

"Problem?"

"I did not expect the ship interface to be this advanced. I am uncertain how to gain entry or how to pilot the ship."

Jim laughed to himself. "Is that all?" Spock appeared taken by the statement. "Here, let me show you how an advanced species gets into a ship." At that, Jim reached and took Spock' phaser for a second time where he then set it to its highest setting and fired at the entrance lock. It sparked and fizzled, the doors opening up with short bursts of power. Jim didn't hand the phaser back, but placed it directly back on Spock's belt. Spock stared at him mutely as he went past him to enter.

"What?" Jim asked with a smile. "They can't _all_ be Kobayashi miracles." On that, Jim went further into the vessel, the Vulcan on his heels and silent.

They walked into a clean, advanced room with transparent alloys surrounding them. In the centre, Jim saw for the first time the device his father had spoken of all his life. It was a chamber completely filled with a red substance. It was so large and knowing that this device was what cost Vulcan their civilization, Jim almost acted on the thought to just blow the shit up right here. The thoughts dissipated, though, when Spock joined him in the viewing.

"Is this the device you were speaking about?" Jim went to answer, but a computerized voice began speaking before him.

"_Voice print and face recognition analysis enabled. Welcome back, Ambassador Spock."_ The Vulcan stared into the ceiling where the ominous voice had called, curiosity reflecting into the alloys around them like mirrors. He turned to Jim who immediately turned away and began heading towards the cockpit.

"Wow. That was weird." Jim muttered under his breath a tab bit awkwardly. Spock noticed it and followed after him.

"Computer, what is your manufacturing origin and date?" Spock demanded while Jim pretended to check everything out.

"_Stardate 2397, commissioned by the Vulcan Science Academy."_ Now Spock understood and tried to quell the slight deceit he felt from the human. Jim was still trying to look busy when Spock turned him harshly.

"It appears you have been keeping rather important information from me." Jim tried to smile it out, but failed.

"Do you think you can fly this thing?"

Spock stared into his eyes darkly. "Something tells me I already have." Silence filled the chamber, Jim unsure what to say and Spock filled with so many questions. If this ship was from Vulcan, from the future, and commanded by his voice, logically, a future Spock was somewhere in their universe and he may have been the one whom convinced Mr. Kirk of his error. All of it was speculation and Spock desired more information before a conclusion was made, but as he went to ask his questions, an alert sounded. Both captain and first officer looked around for its source. Jim was the first to recognize it.

"That's the intruder alert!" Jim exclaimed. "Someone must have seen us activate the ship! Hurry!" Jim panicked, grabbing Spock's shoulders, "You need to get this thing out of here now! Before Nero finds out!"

Spock shook his head. "Though I may have been the intended pilot, I am not accustomed to these controls. Getting the vessel out of the hangar has a statistical likelihood of zero point—"

"I trust you." Jim interrupted hastily. "Get this thing out of here and I'll go find Pike." The blue eyes that stared into Spock's were serious, panicking, and strong. The trust was real, though the Vulcan could not say he had ever seen Mr. Kirk look that way before.

Spock nodded. "I shall try." Jim offered a quick smile.

"That's all I'm asking for." With that, Jim turned on his heels and began towards the exit. He was almost out of range when the Vulcan called to him. Jim stopped, and turned back weakly.

It almost hit Jim in the head, but thankfully, he caught the phaser thrown at him. Jim gazed down at his hands that now held the tiny weapon. He looked up to Spock for clarity. "I trust you, Jim." Spock said, and the mention of his name nearly made Jim's heart skip a beat. Their eyes locked in understanding, but it felt as though something was being left unsaid. With time running out, Jim had no idea what it could be he wanted to say, so instead of delaying and causing another accident much like elder Spock had done with Romulus, Jim forced himself to turn and exit the vessel. No matter how _wrong_ it felt.

Spock tried not to watch him leave, knowing that time was running out, but on the tip of his tongue were the words, "I love you, Jim." He wanted to say them, to blurt them since he knew that the destruction of the device may very well lead to his death if Pike wasn't found in time. But, Jim was gone and with it the words he longed to say. Thinking it only logical, Spock sat in the cockpit and turned on the controls.

_I may make your mistake yet, father._

…

Nero watched with a smile curled on his lips while the plasma drill forced entry into the bitch that was the Federation Earth. It would not be long now. Soon, they would reach the core and the devastation of another world could begin.

Ayel, his most trusted friend sat in front of him, alerting him of the depths the drill reached in increments of fifteen seconds. Stepping down from his front row seat, he approached his dear friend and rested a hand on the Romulan commander's shoulder.

The commander did not lean into his grip as he had many the nights before for comfort, but neither did he lean away. His behaviour was strictly professional and indifferent. If it weren't for the markings and lack of hair about his head, one would think Ayel was Vulcan, not Romulan with the way he acted. Nero smiled and gave his dear friend his distance, removing his hand and enjoying the slight hitch it caused in Ayel's breath. Ever since James' departure to Earth, he had missed torturing something into submission. Ayel had been a wonderful substitute.

The man was beautiful when taking Nero's rage. His body could endure far more abuse than James' pathetic human body. In addition, his blood was green and not red, making Nero feel as though he were once again fighting Vulcans. Ayel did not help himself by acting so Vulcan, taking the abuse, and not shedding a single tear. Nero wondered briefly how much further he could push his friend, how much more abuse Ayel's backside could handle, and how much pain it would take to make the Romulan Commander _beg_ for him to stop—or give him more.

His smile sat still and focused as Nero thought about all the ways he would celebrate his victory with that obedient flesh—then faded when Ayel's terminal prompted an emergency call.

It was voice-over, and not sent as a warning signal or an alert, so the entire Bridge heard the message from the strangled voice. _"Captain! Intruders have broken into the main hangar and have activated the Vulcan's vessel! The pilot is Vulcan and his accomplice was… was Jim!"_

Upon hearing that name, Ayel felt instant relief, but Nero thought otherwise as anger flooded his senses. Immediately the captain threw Ayel from the console and reviewed the data he had observed from the cargo bay. It was a hunch, but the strange behaviour led Nero to believe Ayel had not been truthful. When the cameras shown his son and _Spock_, his teeth clenched to the point of breaking.

Ayel had been pushed to the floor and was picking himself up when Nero took his collar and threw him against the station. "You lied." He bellowed deeply as the camera continued to play behind him on the screen. "You dishonour me, Ayel." Ayel stared back into his eyes blankly, not afraid but neither brave. "I should have killed you for mutiny."

"Then what is stopping you now?" Ayel dared to speak. "Kill me, Nero, for I am the last friend you have." Nero studied him, calling his bluff but clearly saw his friend was not afraid of death. It was then Nero realized what Ayel _was_ afraid of, what he had been trying to _cover up_ from the beginning. His gaze landed on the camera recording, watching his son go into the corridors with the damned Vulcan.

Nero released him, and Ayel laid back on the console, unsure what to do, but his body clearly showing his submission. He looked up to Nero with hazy eyes, but a clear mind. A knot formed in his throat when a certain smile crossed Nero's lips. "No." He began, "I will not kill you. Death would be merciful." A harsh hand landed on Ayel's thigh, and the commander trembled in disgust, thinking that Nero planned to shame him in the only way he could at this moment: he'd rape him for everyone to see. He'd leave him to writhe and beg and cry in front of his fellow friends and they would clutch their mouths in horror to see exactly what Ayel had become. How ashamed they would be to have wanted him as their champion! Dignity and honour would be a thing of the past. Death _would_ be merciful.

Seeing no other alternative, Ayel spread his legs and prepared himself mentally for what was to come. But, as he braced for the disgrace, Nero only smiled. "How disgusting." Nero said loud enough for the Bridge crew to hear. Then, the captain forced Ayel's legs closed and brought him upright with a strong hand on the commander's throat, nearly stripping all his breath away. Ayel clawed at the grip. "You see?" Nero told everyone. "Do you see how your champion reacts? How he _willingly_ obeys my every command and even offers his _flesh?_" He threw Ayel back down on the console, the Romulan commander gasping from impact. He didn't have long to regain his breath before the hand was once again on his neck, holding him down for everyone to see.

"I already own you," Nero breathed deeply, "I can have your body, your mind, your _blood_ whenever I choose. _That_ will not be your punishment, Ayel. No. I have something much worse for you." Nero looked to the recording that had stopped playing. He looked back into the black eyes of his friend, finally seeing a reaction in his corpse. "_You_ will go after James. _You_ will kill him for his betrayal against us." Fear, Nero recognized it immediately, bloomed across Ayel's face.

"No!" Ayel choked under the grip, his face turning slightly brown from the lack of air. "No!" _Anything but that!_

"You _will!_" Nero barked, choking him further and enjoying the strangled cry the commander made. "You have two choices, Commander: either you go after your precious _nephew_ and kill him, or I kill you here and now and go after James myself." He brought his face unbearably close to Ayel's, bringing their eyes level. "Whom do you suppose will be more merciful? After what I've done to you… do you wish me to break James further? To break the bond of father and son and make him my personal slut?" Ayel's eyes blew wide; he could not stand to picture Jim enduring the consistent rape and abuse. Images flashed over his mind of Jim's capture, then the boy being stripped naked and forced to take the wrath of his father in ways no son should! Was Nero insane enough to break the sacred bond of father and son? Would he really do this all to force Ayel to comply?

Ayel searched the eyes of Nero, his friend, his captain, looking for the soul of the man he once knew but found nothing beyond black hatred and revenge. Ayel could not chance it… Jim could not… he did not deserve…

Tears began to flood over his eyes and run down his cheeks, over his jaw and into the curves of his pointed ears. He tried not to sob, but found it impossible. For who wouldn't cry as he said, "I will do it, Nero." He wept. "I will _kill_ him…"

Nero's smile was wicked. "Of course you will, Commander. After all—you belong to _me_."

…


	16. Chapter 16

...

Jim used the distraction of Spock's escape from the hangar to cover for him as he darted down corridors he knew wouldn't be used in case of emergencies like these. The phaser sat on his side, but Jim made a promise to himself that he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary—and that necessary's name was Nero. Surely, his father would be the first told of the intruders and the vessel that was currently being stolen and he would react as Jim expected he would. He'd sooner go after Spock than him, but one had to be cautious. Nero knew no one else aboard would harm him out of the bond they all shared, so it came down to either restless fighting until he or whoever he sent gave up, or Nero came after him himself. Jim was betting on the latter.

All kinds of klaxons and alerts sounded letting Jim know that Spock was doing well. He heard shuffling of feet some corridors away but kept himself hidden from view in little places he'd discovered when he was five years old. No one had caught him yet, and all the better to find Captain Pike.

Though Jim didn't feel very connected to Pike, the man had given him the opportunity he had now. Saving the man was the least of his worries since he'd sooner believe that Pike was killed rather than kept as hostage knowing Nero. However, he knew that at least attempting to save Pike would prove his loyalty to his new side. And now that he was captain, trust was very important if he wanted to make it back to the _Enterprise_ alive.

If on the off chance they had decided to keep Pike alive, Nero probably would have had him placed in an isolated holding cell, rather than the Brig. He bypassed the elevators that would take him there and instead took an uncommonly used route to the catwalk chamber.

The catwalk chamber, though dangerous and where he'd very nearly met his death many years ago, was one place that could lead you to anywhere on the ship without having to use lifts or corridors. In order to avoid any other Romulans, Jim took this route and knew he'd make it to the holding cells quicker this way as long as he didn't run into anyone or slipped and fell to an untimely death.

When he entered, Jim had to stop and take a breath. It had been three years since he'd even _thought_ about this chamber, and the shear mass of it overwhelmed him temporarily. The catwalks looked smaller than he remembered, and the empty space around him, larger. It took him a moment to compose himself and make his way across, careful not to remind himself that the paths had no railings to hold him in should he slip. _Terrible design when you think about it…_

Jim had almost made it across whilst holding his breath when a figure jumped in front of him and slammed hard onto the surface of the platform. The tethers holding the platform up made a small _twang_ on impact, but settled quickly. Jim stood back, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he'd have to fight someone he knew—but he wasn't prepared for the one who had to do it.

Ayel.

His uncle stood in front of him, much thinner than he recalled, with his features drawn much like Nero's. There were no smiles, and the feeling Jim got from him was anything but homey. Both men stood facing the other, neither moving, only staring. Something was terribly wrong.

"Uncle," Jim tried with a steady voice, knowing that look from his father as one of true anger.

"I am not your uncle," Ayel started bitterly, "I am no more your uncle than you are Romulan." Jim narrowed his eyes, understanding what wasn't being said. "You are now the enemy." Ayel stated. "And as such—"

"No." Jim declared. "I will not fight you, Uncle. I don't care _what_ Nero ordered you to do. I know I'm not Romulan, I know now what happened surrounding my birth and I understand who I am and who I'm supposed to be—but you, Uncle, you do not have to serve Nero anymore." He took a step forward, reaching out his hand to the Romulan, "Join me. Together we'll stop Nero and truly return as heroes. Don't you see? Nero is—"

"I know what Nero is." Ayel spat, stepping back. Jim's hand fell to his side. "He is my captain. He is my friend. He is my _brother_."

"He is _insane!_" Jim shouted. "Filled with this hunger for revenge! Topped with his hatred for a single vulcan that only tried to help and failed! What Nero told us was a lie! The Federation is not the enemy! With them we can find a way to prevent it from happening in _this_ future and save everyone!"

Ayel's lips drew a grim line. "You speak against Nero—this means you speak against me—all of us! All of us who have raised you! Cared for you! Nurtured you!"

"I do not!" Jim cried, feeling heaviness in his throat. "I only wish to save you, Uncle. You and all of Romulus. Please, help me defeat Nero! You know it is right!" Without warning, Ayel lunged forward and tackled his nephew to the ground, placing his hands about Jim's throat and squeezing the life out of him.

"I know it is right…" Ayel barely whispered as Jim tried to tear his hands away, stunned by the unforeseen attack, "but I cannot… I belong to Nero…" His eyes turned black and his face snarled with pity, regret, anger, and confusion, "_So you must die!_"

Jim struggled under him, trying to fight for air while at the same time think of what he could do. He couldn't fight his uncle—he loved him too much. He almost gave in and let Ayel take his last breath, when Jim caught the single tear that dropped from the Romulan's right eye. In that single tear Jim could see all of Earth implode as Vulcan had before. He could not give up.

It took all his strength to do it, but Jim managed to break free from Ayel's grip and kick him backwards sliding across the tiny platform. Jim stood up quickly and prepared himself for hand-to-hand combat. Ayel, recognizing his stance, took up the same pose and glared down at his nephew.

"I will not fight you." Jim told him again.

"I am not giving you a choice!" Ayel darted towards him, hands drawn, but as he came to attack, Jim turned swiftly to dodge and swiped his foot to trip Ayel—but Ayel foresaw the move and jumped, instead planting a harsh punch to Jim's chest and knocking him back. Jim wavered close to the edge, seeing it was a _long_ way down.

A foot came screaming to his head, but Jim blocked it with his forearm. Another kick came, but once again Jim blocked it. He ducked, dodged, and refused to hit back as Ayel rained offenses down on him. Ayel spun with a hard fist, but Jim twirled away making Ayel spin towards the edge. He almost fell over the side when Jim intentionally tripped him to keep from falling. Ayel hit the ground and rolled until he could grab Jim's ankles. The commander snagged him down and Jim hit the unforgiving floor.

Ayel rolled on top of him and pinned him, but Jim managed to kick him off without actually hurting him. Jim rolled away and stood up, facing his uncle from a small distance. "You will fight me." Ayel ordered, breathing slightly hard, "Or did I not teach you honour?"

"You taught me well in honour." Jim huffed.

"Then defend yourself."

"I choose not to harm."

"You are a fool!" Ayel shouted, clearly upset over something in his mind. And Jim was right to think so, for in that moment Ayel knew the only way out of this was for Jim to fight back and—_kill him_. He may have to follow Nero's orders, but as along as Jim fought back and _won_, Jim would survive. Thinking quickly, Ayel hit Jim where it would hurt the most. "I was a fool to think a _coward_ would replace my sons!"

Jim paused, taken aback by the statement. His blue eyes were wide in disbelief. "Uncle, I am no coward."

"Coward!" Ayel barked with a stiff point. "I am _glad_ you joined the enemy! Now I can hate you as Nero does! You will _never_ earn your father's love and you _shan't_ earn mine either!"

Anger began to rise unexpectedly in Jim's throat. "Uncle!"

"We killed your _real_ parents!" Ayel continued with equal fervor. "We took _pleasure_ in watching each vessel explode as we destroyed the evacuation shuttles," Jim's eyes blew in horror, "including the one with your mother! You are _weak_ and a coward! I should have let Nero kill you when we _ripped you from that whore's womb!_" Ayel wasn't given a chance to say anything further as a tight right hook clocked his jaw and sent him flying back. Jim was on him quickly, tears stinging his eyes as he began to fight back.

Ayel was too weak to be a formidable opponent, and let Jim's anger wash over him as the human punched him, kicked him, and pummeled him into the floor. Romulans were not quite as sensitive telepathically as their Vulcan cousins, but he could feel every ounce of hatred in Jim's blows. He hated to do this Jim, but he saw no other way…

One last blow knocked Ayel so hard that he fell off the platform and fell on the platform below them. It wasn't until Jim heard the _thud_ that he realized what had happened. Anger drained out of him like water rushing down a mountainside, "Uncle!" Jim called and rushed to the edge. He looked below and saw Ayel lying, bleeding and battered on the floor. Jim jumped down and was quick to his side.

"Uncle!" He called again, lifting his head gently. "What have I done?" Ayel, too weak now to fight, let his head rest in the caring arms of his nephew. Blood pooled from his lips and spilled down his chin, thick and green.

"You must finish me, Nephew." Ayel hardly got out. Jim shook his head.

"No! I won't fight you anymore! I can't! I'll—I'll take you back to the _Enterprise_ with me, Bones'll heal you—"

Ayel hardly moved, but managed to shake his head also. "No, Jim. You mustn't. I have orders…"

"_Damn_ your orders!" Jim cried. "It's not like you, Uncle, to say such things. You must want me to fight you… but why?" Ayel weakly smiled, Jim was always a smart one to figure things out.

"If I am dead, then no one can stop you." He coughed. "Please, Jim… you must stop Nero. There isn't much time." Tears found their way into Jim's eyes again and he tried to fight them back.

"Not without you." He took Ayel's hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the knuckles that protruded unhealthily. "Of all the Romulans I have met, you were the most human, Uncle."

"Shhh," Ayel said, taking Jim's hand strongly into his and leading it down. "I have lived a long life, full of love, hate, abuse, regret, and you. Of everything I had, I was also given you and I do not regret that decision in the least. But," he coughed again, "I wish to see my wife and children, Jim. I wish to be free from Nero and see them once more." Here, Ayel lead Jim's hand to the phaser sitting on his belt. He pushed Jim's fingers open on the butt of the weapon, urging him to pull it out. When it was secure in his grip, Ayel guided Jim's armed hand to his forehead where he placed the phaser gently, but firm. "Give me my peace, Nephew."

Jim couldn't stop the tears, knowing what his uncle was asking of him. "No…"

"If you do not, I will fulfill my orders any way I can. Please, Jim, release me from my loyalty. Release me from Nero." Ayel set the phaser himself to the highest setting, the weapon still trained directly on his forehead. Jim trembled, feeling unsure and frightened. He couldn't. He just couldn't do this.

Long fingers entwined around his on the trigger. Ayel held the weapon with him now, but did not close his eyes in anticipation. He looked directly at Jim, regret and sorrow filling him completely, wetness running down his cheeks as he saw the coming future.

"I love you, Uncle." Jim choked out, knowing there was nothing else he could do, but he could at least tell the man he loved him to his face. This was Ayel's wish. For peace. To be at peace.

Ayel opened his mouth, the words fighting with him as his eyes slid closed and his fingers grasped the trigger with his nephew. "I love you too, Jim." Jim's eyes flew open wide in astonishment—

The blast echoed in the chamber.

The hand gripping with him released, dropping to the floor as Jim studied the phaser and the wound it caused to a now very dead Romulan. Green blood littered the platform and Jim, and silence was replaced with a soundtrack of crying. Jim threw the phaser angrily and clutched his uncle.

"I changed my mind!" He cried. "I changed my mind! Uncle, please no! Don't die! Don't! I don't want to! I love you!" he sobbed, clutching the unmoving body. "I changed my… I love you… no… no, no, no…" His voice became faint, echoing in the chamber softly. Jim buried his head into the chest of a creature that breathed no more, but Jim couldn't let go.

"_Nero_." He hissed, when the reality of the situation hit him. "NERO!" Jim bellowed through his sobs. The echo only added to his fury.

He would pay. Nero would pay.

…

This was hardly the time for mourning, but Ayel would not be denied his remembrance. It had only taken a few minutes, but using the fresh blood of his uncle, Jim painted the Romulan symbols onto his flesh—the marks of loved ones lost. Now that Jim understood Ayel had loved him too, it was his right to bear the markings of family.

Jim couldn't explain why he never saw it, but looking back, he could tell that Ayel truly loved him. He had just been too blinded by Nero to recognize it, and it had become too late to act upon it. But now, things were different. Ayel was right, if everything that he had seen and been told were true, Ayel had been the only one left who could stop him. Nero either needed to face him or suffer mutiny when Ayel was discovered dead in the chambers. It would not be long now. Nero's reign was slowing crumbling.

Jim checked each isolation cell individually, looking for Captain Pike, but turning up short. There wasn't any evidence that anyone had been down here in some time, but Jim didn't give up. Every cell would be checked before he moved along.

On the third floor, he stopped when he noticed a cell that was partially lit. Thinking it was Pike, Jim ran to the entrance and opened the lock. When he entered, he was greeted by a man hanging on the wall by his arms, immobilized with chains and looking as drained as a prisoner would.

"Pike?" Jim asked, unsure because the lightening didn't let him see the uniform entirely. When the man lolled his head up, only then was his identity confirmed.

"Kirk? Is that you?" Jim ran to him, making quick work of the bonds. "What the hell is all over your face, son?"

"We gotta move fast." Jim told him, ignoring his inquiry on the green markings. "Spock's handling the Red Matter device and we need to get back to the _Enterprise_." He forced open the last cuff and Pike dropped into his arms like a dead weight. He grunted with the man on him and turned around stiffly to escape, only to stop when they saw three Romulans standing by the entrance with their weapons drawn. Jim gulped, recognizing them as Chevak, Eron, and Nolen.

They stood in silence, each studying the other. Pike leaned over to his ear. "Don't just stand there," he barely got out, "shoot them. Where's your weapon?"

"I threw it away." Jim admitted.

"You what! How did you plan on a rescue mission without a weapon?"

Jim stared into the eyes of his friends, wondering what they were thinking right at that moment since they didn't understand Standard well and translators were normally issued to senior officers only. "I didn't think I'd need it."

"Just what kind of rescue mission are you on?" Jim didn't reply, he didn't have to. Chevak had put his weapon down and motioned for the others to do the same. They followed his example and Chevak ordered something in Romulan, before he spoke in Romulan to Jim. They all moved to the side, looking directly at the human.

Jim nodded, giving a small smile and started for the entrance. As they passed, Pike kept looking around for deceit and the coming attack, but none came. When they were safely out in the corridor, the one Jim knew as Eron closed the cell door and all tossed out their weapons. Pike quickly looked into Jim's face with scrutiny.

"What the hell just happened?" Pike had been taken hostage before Jim had admitted to everyone he was a Romulan spy. He figured this wasn't the best moment to announce that, so Jim gave him a neutral answer.

"Mutiny against Nero. They want us to win now." It wasn't a _complete_ lie, but what Chevak had really said was that they were on his side now, not Nero's. To quickly escape before they were caught. What Hanaj had said had been true. They really were too weak to fight right now and Nero had run them ragged.

Once in the clear and heading for an area Jim knew they wouldn't be seen, Jim tried to hail the _Enterprise_. He shouldn't have been surprised that it didn't go through, but kept trying anyway. If Sulu didn't respond soon, he'd have to manually send a message to go on without them. As he went to clear the frequencies for a third time, a large jolt shook the _Narada_. Pike and Jim exchanged glances.

Spock.

…

After Jim had left him to pilot the unusual vessel, Spock had managed to get out of the hangar and lead the enemies on a chase. Instead of going after his son, Nero had instead opted to chase after him. His detest and hatred of whom he was still evident.

Maneuvering the best of his abilities, Spock made it out of the hangar unscathed and flew out towards the drill tether. If he could destroy it, then communications and transporter functions would come back online. It took him a few minutes to figure out the controls, but once grasped, he was using the ship like a pro and set his lasers on the drill.

The _Narada_ was already firing at him, Nero's message of death breaking out over the frequencies to match the shear disgust of the Romulan captain. Spock ignored him and fired.

The tethers didn't stand a chance.

_Now I must destroy the Red Matter_, he thought, and began to logically conclude how to do this.

…

Nero paced around the Bridge, his anger clearly written over his eyes and drawn brow. How had Spock managed to escape? That was an easy answer. It had been James—his worthless excuse for a Romulan son. It was good that Ayel was taking care of him so that he could focus on his true enemy.

"He's warping, Captain!" A helmsman reported.

"Then go after him!" Nero barked.

"But, sir, logically he's going to—"

"I said, _GO AFTER HIM!_" Nero screamed, threatening the helmsman with a clutch of his disruptor. The officer complied, gulping.

Nero watched the screen with intensity, furious that his drill had been rendered useless, but Spock wouldn't get away that easily. He saw the _Jellyfish_ warp away in a blinding blink of light, and soon they followed after him, the ship lunging like a cripple. It was during this chase, the captain received a most disheartening report.

One of the last four women aboard the _Narada_ came scurrying in. She was a nurse and was currently covered in green blood. She approached Nero like a scorned spouse, but kept her manners in check since he was the captain.

"I've come to report, Captain." She said plainly.

"The body count doesn't interest me, Nurse." He waved her off. She remained, clearly upset.

"No, sir, I'm certain you'd like to know this report." The captain faced her, daring her with his eyes to continue, but she didn't budge. She only reported the worst thing the Bridge crew could ever hear. "Ayel has been found _dead_. Phaser blast to the skull."

For a moment in time, everything stopped. Though they were currently blazing at warp speed, everything stood still. Officers turned away, unsure how to react, and some already began to fight back curses and hold their tears. Nero, however, only dropped the heavy anger from his face and looked like the nurse had delivered a punch straight to his gut. It looked at though his eyes had faded from angry black and turned into a watery brown.

"Ayel… is dead?" He asked so quietly.

She hesitated. "Yes, sir." Dare she continue? "Security cameras show that a particular Starfleet officer is one to blame." She moved her eyes around to everything but him, but thought better of it and faced him strongly. "It was Jim, sir. He's no longer on our side—he's no longer your son."

Nero's glare turned solid black again and he seethed. "_Spock._" He hissed. "It was Spock! Spock! Spock! Spock did this! Spock killed Ayel!"

The nurse was confused. "Sir, didn't you hear me? I said it was Jim, _not_ Spock."

"He killed my brother!" Nero roared. "He took away my last remaining family! Spock killed him!" Glances switched around as the captain continued to curse Spock's name. Horror encased them as they realized the extent of Nero's insufferable insanity. Ayel's death had finally pushed him to the edge.

"_SPOCK!_" He raged and turned harshly to his helmsman with a direct point. "When we drop from warp, I want everything fired at that damn vulcan! _Everything!_ I want him dead NOW!"

"But, sir, he still has the Red—"

"I WANT HIM DEAD _NOW!_"

As if on cue, they dropped from warp and saw in the distance Spock turn the _Jellyfish_ around and prepare for a collision. Nero was shouting and barking orders to fire everything, to start shooting out people if they had run out of torpedoes. His arms flailed around like a child with a tantrum, tears streamed over his cheeks and his face was puffy with rage. But…

No one moved.

Not a single officer on the Bridge acknowledged a single order, but stood up from their stations and faced their captain with silent anger.

"What are you doing!" Nero screamed. "I gave you all orders! Shoot him now!"

"No." The helmsman dared. "No, Nero. We refuse to take orders from you anymore."

"WHAT?"

"This is mutiny, Captain." The other officer by communications told him, pressing a single switch on his console. "And I just sent a signal to the _Enterprise_ of our location. We're going down with the ship."

Nero began backing up, furious but frightened by all the officers that were now crowding him in. "I order you to get away!" He was beginning to sound frightened as they all had about mutiny before. "I order you to fire at Spock! Get away! Back to your stations!"

"You're not the captain anymore." An officer said. Nero snarled, but continued to bark orders, all going unheard. So much attention was focused on him that all missed the impact of the _Jellyfish_ into the hull of the _Narada_. The ship shook violently, more violently than a small vessel should have made.

The Red Matter had been released.

…

Three figures formed on the Transporter Pad at once, two of those figures together. Once finished, Spock was standing with his eyes closed and in what looked to be a vulcan prayer stance. Jim and Pike were arm and arm, confused but all smiles with the scenery.

Scotty cheered at the transporter console. "Wow! I've nev'r had to beam three people from two different locations to one pad before!" The man was truly proud and had every reason to be. Jim was certain they were going to die.

McCoy and his team rushed into the room, immediately taking Pike off Jim's hands. The captain looked to Spock who had now opened his eyes and looked perplexed to be alive, as subtle as the emotionalism was.

"What did you do?" Jim asked, a huge grin on his face.

Spock's answer was quick. "Logically, the only way I knew to destroy the Red Matter and injure such a large vessel was to—collide with the ship and self-destruct. The likelihood of my survival was negative. You must forgive me for showing minor surprise that I am alive." He paused and stopped to get a good look at his captain.

"Sir? Those symbols on your face—"

Jim didn't want to talk about it. "We need to get to the Bridge. The Red Matter is going to form a black hole large enough to eat us alive if we don't move fast," he told him while moving out into the corridors, "and—my family is still on that ship."

…

The Red Matter exploded simultaneously, each one eating the other to make a growing black hole near the hull of the _Narada._ All aboard her knew there was no way they would be able to survive.

Jim rushed out onto the Bridge with Spock walking in step behind him. Everyone looked relieved to see him and that gave him a tiny warm feeling in his heart. On the view screen, Jim could see the black hole twisting to life and sucking everything into its maw. There would only be minutes before they would become compromised too and lost in the gravitational pull.

"Uhura, hail them." Jim ordered. She complied quickly and just as soon as he had ordered it, his father's face appeared on the view screen, distorted, breaking, and angry.

"Father." Jim acknowledged with a nod.

"Spock!" He called over the calamity happening behind him. He didn't look at Jim, but kept his eyes directly pointed to the vulcan beside him. Something had changed in him, but Jim couldn't tell what. It was like his hatred and anger had become manifested in a strange aura around him. "You're alive! You're _still_ alive!"

"Insanity has not reduced your observational skills." Spock replied stiffly. Nero focused on the vulcan and raged, not seeing anyone else but him.

"I'll kill you!" Nero snarled.

"Not this time." Jim offered politely, and finally his father looked at him, his eyes blown wide and a smile crossing his lips.

"Jim!" Nero began, and Jim raised a brow as his father had _never_ called him Jim before. "You are still there! You can kill him! Now is your chance to make your father proud! Kill him, my son! Kill him and I will love you as you always wanted!" Jim's heart briefly caught in his throat. It had always been what he wanted, but the desperation behind his words and the soulless tracing of his eyes spoke volumes to Jim. There was nothing to gain from his father's love anymore. "I will love you, Jim! Just kill him! Kill him! Kill—"

Nero's eyes rolled upward into his skull and he fell hard to somewhere below the screen. In his place stood another Romulan officer, Salis the chief engineer. He looked tired, but mostly relieved. Others began to pick Nero up from the floor and carry him away in the distance.

"Jim, you are safe." Salis said in Romulan. "We are thankful." The screen distorted further but all could still hear him. "The mutiny was finally a success, Jim. There is no longer a need for you to stay. Go! Get away from here before you are pulled in too far."

"Wait!" Jim called, feeling frantic. "Are you all going down with the ship?" Salis nodded tersely. "But what about Romulus?" Jim didn't wait for an answer, but instead turned to Chekov. "How much time do we have before we're too close to the black hole?"

"Minutes, sair!" Chekov called, checking his sensors. "Less than ten minutes!" Jim turned back to Salis hurriedly.

"I already lost my uncle," Jim began, "I don't want to lose all that's left of my family. I may be human, but I'm Romulan at heart, Salis. I ask that you round up the remaining survivors and get to the transporter room. We'll beam over all that we can."

"But, Jim! That will compromise you! We are not worth—"

"You're my family, Salis! All of you! I must try!" Silence came over them, and eyes on the Bridge went wide. Jim didn't know he was speaking Standard though Salis was still speaking Romulan. Finally, Salis nodded.

"Acknowledged—_Captain_." Salis smiled, and then began making orders to the remaining Romulans for them to head straight for the Transporter Room. Jim was quick to turn and head there himself to make sure his family and friends made it okay. Spock stood in his way, but neither obtrusively nor showing any anger.

"We have little time to beam them all aboard and very little space to provide for them."

"I don't believe in no-win scenarios, Spock." Jim told him flatly. "I figured you'd know that by now." He pushed by him and went into the turbolift. Spock wanted to follow, but kept himself at bay. He was doing what Spock had done for his own people. He was trying to save them in the plight of danger. Spock nodded and decided to stay on the Bridge to maintain a safe distance from the black hole. A part of him knew the feeling and internally hoped they had enough time to save these people.

For Jim's sake.

…

Scotty had his hands full trying to rework the equation to fit and pull as many people aboard as he could. Jim was present, giving orders to officers as more Romulans were beamed aboard and having them taken to anywhere they could fit. They came six at a time, coming in, moving, more coming in, moving, over and over. Jim was getting dizzy but he was relieved so many had survived. He was certain to note the fatigued faces and the lack of weapons each Romulan had. They came peaceful, thankful, and with smiles to see Jim in command.

The _Narada_ had begun with over 700 officers aboard her, but Jim had only beamed over 150. That was all that remained after the twenty-five years, the horrible Klingon prison, and those killed in action. Jim mourned for them, but as Salis, the last to be beamed over finally came, he took Jim by the shoulders and hugged him, tracing his fingers over the green markings on his face.

"Ayel would be proud, Jim." He told him.

"Thank you."

"No," Salis warned, "thank _you_. For all that you have done and all that you have brought us. Truly, you are more Romulan than we." Jim smiled as another officer came and took the engineer away. Without anything to lose, Jim built up his strength and carried himself to the Bridge where he ordered a complete warp back to headquarters.

They had pushed it on time, and watching the _Narada_, his home, crumble like vulcan on the view screen made him homesick, but Jim let it happen. Piece by piece the ship was sucked in, but a frown wasn't to be seen on Jim's face. He was smiling.

"A good captain goes down with the ship." Jim said to himself, watching as the _Enterprise_ began to warp away from the singularity, "goodbye Father. _May your day find peace_."

…

A/N - I believe there's only one chapter left of this story. There may be two, but I'm uncertain at this point. It was sad to see Nero become so encased with his insanity, and even sadder about how he reacted to Ayel's death. What do you think Nero was thinking about when he heard Ayel had been killed? Why do you suppose that was his breaking point?


End file.
